


Pretenses

by danke_rose



Series: Vacations and Getaways [6]
Category: X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: F/M, Fake Marriage, Friends With Benefits To Lovers, Friends to Lovers, I think there might be a plot, Sex, Smut, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, all the sex, fake honeymoon, kind of porn, kurtty - Freeform, oh my god did I really write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:54:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25263427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danke_rose/pseuds/danke_rose
Summary: Kurt and Kitty win a honeymoon prize package thanks to an ornery student.  It just so happens to be at the same hotel where a mutant cure conference is being held.  They're sent to infiltrate the conference, posing as newlyweds.  What could go wrong?Minor edits made since first posting.  Story is the same.
Relationships: Kitty Pryde/Kurt Wagner
Series: Vacations and Getaways [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1961269
Comments: 56
Kudos: 26





	1. There Was a Secret Wedding and No One Was Invited

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rubyea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubyea/gifts).



> The story where everything is fake and the timeline doesn't matter. Let's call it an AU.
> 
> I have so much to say.  
> First, this is pretty much a lot of chapters of them doing it. Like. A whole lot. If sex scenes are uncomfortable for you, this is *definitely* not the fic for you. To my regular readers, please forgive me because this is basically All Smut All the Time. And if you're a regular reader and this isn't for you, my feelings will NOT be hurt if you don't want to read it. Really, I promise.  
> It wasn't supposed to be a smutfest but, hey, I'm blaming hormones.
> 
> In all seriousness, thank you to Rubyea for the idea of combining fake marriage/honeymoon vacation in the mountains with outdoor hot tub/bad guys/one bed/friends to lovers because you know I will *always* write that. The smut was all me.
> 
> This is a frivolous, light-hearted story that has no place in the timeline or canon, and is only for fun. I don't necessarily think these two would behave this way, but it was fun to imagine this story and write it, and hopefully it will still be enjoyable. 
> 
> I have another fic with a fake newlyweds kind of theme, and I wanted this to be different, and this happened.
> 
> This is like the ultimate self-indulgent, all-you-can-eat fic buffet. We've got pools, caves, mountains, snow games, delicious food, luxurious bathrooms with fancy showers, private cabins, a hot tub, a jetted tub, a clawfoot tub (that's a lot of tubs), bad guys who aren't so bad they can't be dealt with easily enough, lots (and lots) of sex, a little angst, a happy ending, a limo, a fireplace, dancing, and a teeny tiny bit of humor when I manage it successfully. Seriously, what else could you want? A little bit of Kurt with swords? Check. Kitty hacking some computer stuff like a badass? Check. Kitty's mom being awesome? Check. A little bit of Kitty with a sword, too? Also check.  
> It's like I just took all the ingredients in my fic pantry and dumped them in a bowl and served it to you. 
> 
> Also, I rarely write this part in the story, but they always use proper protection.

The lodge conference room was warm with the bodies of so many mutant haters packed into the space. They caught snippets of conversations, mundane ones about kids and work and friends, and a few others about the purpose of the conference. Those were the ones Kurt listened to. Not in hushed voices, these people spoke up boldly, proud of their hate. He laid his arm along the back of Kitty's chair and crossed his ankle over his knee, smiling at her from behind the mask of his image inducer like a dutiful husband. She held his hand like a loving wife, squeezing a little tighter than she might have if they were elsewhere.

They weren't married. They'd won a trip, thanks to one of the students getting bored at the mall and entering every contest he could find, filling in his teachers' names at random. It had been nothing but dumb luck that the mutant cure conference was being held in the very same hotel. When Scott heard, he decided it would be the perfect ruse for infiltrating the scheduled presentations and finding out more details about the new cure PharmaSure was touting.

Kurt had played it cool that day, agreeing to go undercover with a pretense of annoyance, and expressing his disdain for the image inducer he would have to use. Inside, he was about as happy as he ever thought he'd been. A week at an exclusive mountain resort with Kitty posing as his new bride? The only way it could be better was if she was actually in love with him.

Kitty's face, when Jubilee brought them the thick, manila envelope addressed to Konrad and Katherine Wagner, had been unreadable, Kurt recalled. He glanced at Kitty beside him in the warm conference room and remembered her asking him with wide eyes if he was responsible, a wry little smile finally plucking at her lips. Kurt had been spared having to tell her no and defend his innocence when Trevor came in and took credit for the prize. He was the one who'd filled out all those entries. He hadn't expected anyone to win, let alone Kurt and Kitty.

Now, three weeks later, their suitcases sat on a padded bench at the foot of a four-poster bed in the private honeymoon cabin, still unpacked. He and Kitty had gone immediately to the main lodge, wandering into the meeting with feigned curiosity. A man at the door had invited them inside, and here they were, sitting in uncomfortable metal folding chairs clinging to one another, pretending it was love and not nerves. Two fake newlywed mutants surrounded by at least a hundred mutant cure supporters, about to hear a presentation on the latest medical cure for their “affliction,” was not the most dangerous situation Kurt had ever been in, but it was one of the least comfortable.

He smiled at Kitty again as she squeezed his hand, and he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I suppose it will start soon?”

“Probably,” she replied and fiddled with the brochure they'd been given at the door. “It says it starts at two, and it's ten after.”

He looped his invisible tail around her ankle, and she patted his knee, fingers curling around until she could just tickle the tendon at the back of his knee. He jerked his leg in surprise, and she giggled, a sound he heard far too infrequently. He kissed her head, ignoring the people around him and the unhappy twist in his gut that reminded him it was all an act. At the front of the room, a man in a dark suit strode up to the podium and tapped the mic. Feedback burst through the speakers and he laughed too loudly, apologized, and welcomed them.

Kurt's arm around Kitty's shoulders pulled her slightly closer, the urge to protect her still strong after all these years, even after all the times she'd saved him. Her hand on his knee squeezed again, not tickling this time, but he still almost laughed at their shared desire to protect each other. It was one of the things he thought made their friendship so strong and stable after so many years and so many difficulties. They both wanted the other to be safe and happy, even if it meant risking their own safety or happiness.

“...guarantee _huge returns_ on your investment! Plus, we have an _incentive program_ for those of you who wisely choose to reinvest those returns. Your cash will grow _exponentially_! PharmaSure's new mutant cure will be safe, effective, and work quickly. Why should you invest in a mutant cure? Let's say you're a new parent, and you're concerned your child may be a mutant. Rather than wait for puberty to make the _unpleasant_ _discovery_ , you can vaccinate your baby immediately and never have to worry that your child will grow up to be a freak. And if that baby _were_ to be born with grotesque, physical mutations, again our cure will work quickly to return your precious baby to its normal, _natural_ , human form. Are you or someone you know a mutant? Do you want to get your life back and stop living in shame? Our vaccine works on children _and_ adults. Now PharmaSure is currently looking for investors who will support the rapid production of this new cure...”

Kurt realized he was gripping Kitty's shoulder tightly, but she didn't say a word. He let go, whispered his apology, and was rewarded with one of her most beautiful smiles. She put her hand on his chin and pulled his face close, kissed his cheek and whispered, “It's okay.”

And it was. With Kitty, it always was.

Halfway through the presentation, Kitty turned to him with a furrowed brow and tapped her finger on the brochure. She'd written on it with the free pen she'd been given at the door, “Ponzi?” and he answered her with his eyes. He didn't know.

He tried to listen and pay attention, but the words were so hateful, and his desire to leave so strong, he began to focus on other things more and more. Kitty inched closer to him, her hip pressed firmly against his and her entire shoulder now flat against his chest. He had the feeling she would have wrapped herself around him if she could have. Instead, he curved himself over her shoulders and tucked his chin against the far side of her face. She put her hand up, scraping her fingers through his hair. She traced the point of his ear once before dropping her hand to take more notes in the margins of her brochure.

He was grateful for the newlywed ruse. Holding her like this, her fingers in his hair, no one looking at them would assume they were uncomfortable, angry mutants, but rather two affectionate people in love. Kurt almost laughed at the half-truth in that sentiment.

At last it was over. Behind them, men and women in suits waited at tables with mailing lists to sign up new investors. At the door, the same man who greeted them asked what they thought.

“It was _very_ enlightening. My husband and I are definitely considering investing. We're newlyweds though,” and at this she giggled and blushed so perfectly Kurt wondered how he'd never noticed her acting abilities before. “So we need to talk to our financial adviser first.”

“I'm sure it would be a smart investment, especially if we decide to have children,” Kurt said, just to watch her blush and giggle again. If he made it through this week, it would be a miracle.

“A wise decision, folks. We'll be holding another meeting tomorrow at the same time, if you make a decision in the meantime.”

“Thank you _so_ much,” Kitty said, her smile wide. Kurt noticed the man smiling back at her, his eyes full of something other than appreciation for their attendance.

“Hon,” Kurt said, enunciating the word as she'd taught him, “I _really_ want to try out that heated pool.”

“Oh, right! Thanks again,” Kitty said to the man, and they left, heading through the lobby to the exit, gazing at one another like lovesick fools. The floor to ceiling fireplace blazed with heat and people were gathered around. Under other circumstances, the lobby would have been a welcoming place, with its faux-leather sofas and plush carpet. Kitty ignored all of it.

Once outside, Kitty dropped the act and her face contorted. She was furious, her hands clenched, threatening to destroy the notes she'd made. Kurt deftly slipped the brochure out of her grasp and put his hand flat on her back. She didn't say a word while they were outside in the chilly mountain air where anyone could overhear them. Kitty was discreet, even when she was seething.

She stormed down the path that led to their cabin, anger making her shoulders shake. As soon as Kurt shut the cabin door behind him, she exploded.

“That pompous piece of shit!” she fumed. “How could he—how can they—I want to go back in there and just—ugh!” Her whole body was absolutely stiff with rage.

Kurt let her vent. She paced the cabin while he sat on the edge of the luxuriously appointed bed. They'd hardly bothered to take notice of the furnishings or the view or the amenities when they arrived that afternoon. Paperwork at the front desk had taken forever, and they wanted to make it to the meeting. At the time, Kurt had wondered if their entire week would be spent filling out forms and signing pages of legal documents and permission forms. Kitty had been efficient, though, signing and passing him each paper until they were done.

Alone now, she stood at the floor to ceiling window overlooking the mountains and he could see her shaking.

“Oh, Kätzchen,” he said, not sure how to finish his statement. He crossed the room and opened his arms as she turned into them. “It's all right,” he said, though it wasn't. He was as angry as she was, but she needed him right now. He could work out his frustration later in the gym, or maybe swim laps in one of the heated pools.

“No it _isn't_!” she yelled into his chest. Her breath was hot and he could feel the vibration in her throat when she spoke, her voice on the edge of breaking. “To have to sit there next to you...” she stood back and gestured at him from top to bottom. “Hiding because of people like that. To have to listen to that bullshit and act like... Ugh!” She threw herself at his chest again. “The things he said about you, Kurt—about _mutants_...”

Kitty was angry on his behalf, Kurt realized with a swell of affection. She needed something, an outlet, a way to feel she was combating the problem and not simply accepting it. He held her loosely, his hands resting in the dip of her back while she shouted her anger into his chest.

“You said you think it's a Ponzi scheme?” he said, latching on to something she'd noted during the presentation.

She went still in his arms for a second and lifted her head. “Oh. Yeah, it seems like one to me,” she said, sounding more like herself and less like she wanted to murder someone. “You know what that is, right? An investment scam. There might not even be a product.”

“So this cure might not even exist? But people are pouring their money into it?”

“Right. They take all the new investment money and use it to pay their first investors.”

“If that's the case, then all we need to do is prove it's all fake, and our job is done.”

She spun out of his arms and dug out her laptop. “It's a little more complicated than that, but basically, you're right. Let me see...”

He stood aside to watch her work, satisfied that she no longer felt out of control. And _he_ had helped. “Anything I can do?” he said, anticipating her answer.

“Um, no, I'm good. You can relax.” She didn't even look up, but he still smiled.

“There are snacks in the kitchenette. If you want anything, say so.”

“Mmkay,” she said, already engrossed in what she was doing.

Kurt had a few books with him, and took out the one he was currently reading, sinking into the overly plush sofa. His mind wouldn't focus on the story, though. He looked around the cabin, finally inspecting its wood plank walls and stone fireplace. One wall was taken up by floor to ceiling windows that disguised a sliding door leading to a large deck. The cabin itself was situated on the side of the mountain so that one side appeared to be suspended above the valley. There was a covered hot tub, a grill, and a pair of heavy wooden deck chairs. At one end of the snow-covered deck, they had a view of the ski slopes from a distance.

Inside, there was a small, stocked kitchenette and private washroom to rival that of any exclusive hotel. A round whirlpool tub was set into the floor between the bed and the fireplace in the main room. Kitty hadn't even acknowledged it. Gauzy curtains framed the king sized bed, and a thick comforter was folded back to highlight the silky cotton sheets. A dark red couch faced the stone fireplace, with plump cushions so soft it gave the sensation of sinking into a sea of velveteen. The fireplace in the center of the cabin was two-sided, and could be enjoyed from the clawfoot tub in the bathroom as well as from the main room. In the bathroom, the glass shower enclosure was big enough to be a room on its own, with gleaming fixtures and two rainfall showerheads, along with adjustable jets along the walls and benches on either side. It was obviously a shower for two.

Kurt hoped he'd have time to enjoy that clawfoot tub. He missed the old British tubs where he could stretch out. That shower would be nice, too. He'd never been in one with jets before. He wandered out to the main room and tried to read again, but his mind and his eyes kept drifting over the pages to Kitty's back, working diligently at the computer. He had no doubt she'd get them an answer today. If she did, they might get to enjoy their fake honeymoon a little after all.

He loved the way she became excited and determined when she was figuring out a solution to some problem they faced. She might get angry and upset briefly, but then she turned that energy towards finding answers. She was so passionate about anything that mattered. He gave up on the book and strolled over to the window, read the thermometer outside, and wondered if he could convince Kitty to take a dip later.

He almost asked her to join him right then, but she was engrossed in her work, her expression serious but no longer angry. He watched her long enough that she noticed him and glanced up once, then again, tipping her head to the side.

“What?”

“Nothing. I wish I could help you.”

“No need. I'm almost finished.”

“I was thinking about the hot tub.” He jerked his thumb at it. “Maybe later?”

Her grin surprised him, the way she bit her lip and blushed pale pink. “Yeah, sure. After dinner?”

Kurt hadn't realized how late it was. The presentation had been just over two hours, but he was still surprised they'd been in the cabin so long.

“ _Ja_ , _perfekt_.”

Her smile remained even after she returned to her work.


	2. Ponzi Schemes Require a Constant Flow of New Investors

Kitty wanted to punch that jerk standing at the microphone, preening himself and gloating over his supposedly superior humanity. Listening to him talk about non-passing mutants like they were monsters, while she sat next to her best friend using an image inducer to hide his real, beautiful face from the world, pushed her anger to the edge. She wanted to protect Kurt from their words and their hatred, but she couldn't. It was their job to be there in that room full of people who hated them so much, where she'd felt her anger rising more with every word. She imagined the mob scene that would unfold if the inducer should fail, all those people screaming and attacking them. It made her sick to her stomach with anger and fear.

Now, safely tucked away in the honeymoon cabin, she was on the verge of exposing them as a Ponzi scheme. Especially if she could prove the treatment was fake. If it wasn't, Scott's team would have to deal with it, but if it wasn't real, she and Kurt would have the rest of the week to themselves, thanks to Trevor's little mall prank.

Kitty didn't have any intention of sitting through another meeting like that if she could help it. She couldn't imagine how Kurt had dealt with it, listening to people go on about freaks and monsters, knowing they would be pointing at him if they knew what he looked like. And yet, he'd been the one offering _her_ reassurance afterwards. She felt selfish and a little ashamed. When he asked about the hot tub, there was no way she would have turned him down. She smiled to herself as she imagined relaxing in it with him, returning the favor and comforting him, even if only with her smile and friendship.

The PharmaSure Ponzi scammers were going _down_ , and they were going down today.

She shut the lid of her laptop with a triumphant whoop, startling Kurt, who was bouncing around the room, leaping across the exposed ceiling beams and dangling from rafters.

“It's done!” she announced, taking a bow like Kurt sometimes did.

He landed in front of her and applauded. She was in such a good mood she humored him when he held out his arms to dance with her. She laughed and let him twirl her around the room a few turns before planting a loud kiss on her forehead.

“What are we celebrating? Did we win another vacation?”

“I think I just took down that Ponzi scheme. I put it all over every social media I can find. They _are_ scammers, looking for Ponzi scheme investors. I published their names and phone numbers and everything.” She swung his arms and let him twirl her again. “Best of all, I don't think their stupid cure exists!”

He kissed her again, on her cheek this time, less noisily but no less enthusiastically. “Then we should celebrate in earnest with a delicious dinner.”

“I call the bathroom,” she said, and raced for her suitcase. He was faster though, and shut the door just before she made it inside. Kitty phased her head in. “Like that would stop me,” she teased.

He shrugged and started peeling up the hem of his sweater. “Okay.”

She stepped inside, passing through the door and solidifying to lean on it, casually calling his bluff.

He pulled the sweater off, tossed it aside, and advanced on her like a stealthy cat. Kitty's cheeks went hot, but she wasn't going to back down. The bathroom was _hers_. Her heart hammered as Kurt braced one arm on the wall beside her face, coming so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body. Then he flashed a grin at her and abruptly backed up.

“All right, _liebchen_ , you win.”

“Don't forget your sweater,” she sang as he gathered his things to leave. When the door shut again, she had to breathe for a few minutes before she could change. If she made it through this week, it would be a miracle.

Kurt had been a constant in her life since before she joined he X-Men. He'd been such a constant that it had taken her far too long to grasp that the fluttery feelings she had for him were no longer fear or nerves, but love. She'd pondered it a long time, concluding at first that it must be infatuation, a crush, even lust. She'd made too many rash dating mistakes and was unwilling to make another, especially when it involved someone she cared for so much. Pete Wisdom, Bobby Drake, even Piotr Rasputin she could live the rest of her life without. But not Kurt. Long after she accepted that she was in love with him in no small way, she said nothing, because if he didn't feel the same, she couldn't imagine watching him slip away from her.

Being here with him, in this romantic cabin, at this romantic resort, pretending to be his wife and allowing all kinds of little affections from him was confusing the hell out of her heart and her body. Her mind insisted it was only a necessary performance. Kurt was a natural entertainer, and _of course_ he would be convincing in his role as doting, infatuated, new husband. The rest of her screamed at her brain to shut up.

  
  


The hotel was set on acres of mountain land, and consisted of two large main buildings. The first was a magnificent, luxurious hotel. It reminded Kitty of the kind used as settings for romantic movies, where the beautiful leading lady meets a handsome stranger in the lobby and falls in love. The main building was where the majority of guests were housed, and where the dining hall and front desk were located. The second building was the lodge, and it was almost as long as the main hotel but more rustic in appearance, with log walls and exposed wooden beams inside. It was the location for game nights, dances, contests, and other guest entertainment depending on the season. Finally there was a scattering of small cabins, like the one they were staying in, reserved for couples. Their honeymoon cabin was newly renovated, and was the reason the hotel had sponsored the contest.

The biggest drawback Kitty could see was walking to and from the cabin and the hotel or lodge. There was a shuttle service available for a small fee per trip, but it wasn't included in the prize package and Kitty didn't feel the need to use it. She could walk, even in a dress and heels. She was an X-Man. At least the hotel kept the walkways clear of snow and ice.

Dinner in the hotel's grand dining room was always formal. There was another dining room in the lodge, where casual dress was accepted, but the grand dining room was too spectacular to even imagine wearing anything less than formal to eat. The room shone with golden chandeliers and glowing candles. Kitty had packed accordingly, and turquoise chiffon floated around her knees as she walked, swishing against Kurt's slacks. She wore a cardigan over the thin straps, but the room was warm enough that she would have been comfortable without it. She accepted Kurt's extended arm as they walked in, happy to let him play the gracious gentleman.

The marquee beside the conference room still announced the next day's presentation by PharmaSure. Kitty wanted to kick it over, but she was distracted by the grandeur of the dining room as Kurt took her coat and hung it on a hook near the entrance. He offered his arm again and, playing the role of new bride, she leaned up and kissed his cheek.

The food was superb, and Kitty lamented having to return at the end of the week and eat leftover spaghetti and microwave meals again. Kurt agreed heartily, nodding with his mouth full. At the far end of the dining hall, a band played in front of a parquetry dance floor. Throughout dinner, couples got up to dance, and there were always a few people on the floor. After their meal, Kurt stood up and held out his hand.

“Would my bride care to dance?”

“Absolutely,” she said, and let him lead her through the tables to the dance floor.

The grin of his false face was so like Kurt's, she had a pang of something like homesickness to see his real face. At least when she curled her fingers around his hand, she could feel the fuzz and imagine. She closed her eyes briefly and let the illusion of the inducer disappear. Kurt guided her through the steps easily, as always. He was as graceful a partner as any she'd had before, and his company was always charming. He flattered her.

“Leave it to you to take down their scheme in less than a day. I always said you were a genius.”

She gave him a dramatic sigh. “You only love me for my brain,” she said. “My beauty means nothing to you.”

“Alas, my darling, it's true. And yet, my handsome face is what drew you to me.” He swept her into his arms, tipping her back while she laid a hand to her forehead.

“Oh, Konrad, whatever shall we do? Our love is cursed!”

“We shall have to make the most of it, I'm afraid,” he said, and pulled her close, as if to kiss her.

Kitty might have gone through with it if he hadn't puckered his lips so tightly she laughed.

“You look like a three year old about to kiss his great aunt,” she said, laughing again behind her hand.

Kurt laughed with her, pecked her cheek, and swung her out in a spin to dance some more. When the music ended, Kurt led her off the dance floor to gather their coats and return to the cabin. They passed the marquee again, and Kitty tugged at Kurt's arm.

“Look,” she said, nodding gleefully at the sign.

There was now a big, red sticker plastered across it.

“Canceled,” Kurt read, “That must mean you were successful, Kätzchen,” he said, grinning so wide she could almost imagine she saw his fangs. She wanted to see his real face so badly she put her hands on his cheeks.

“I miss your face,” she said. “Let's get outta here.”

  
  


They called Scott from the cabin to tell him the good news. He acknowledged it in that serious way he had, and reiterated that they were free to stay the week if they wanted. It was their prize, after all, even if they hadn't been the ones who entered. Kitty wasn't sure Scott ever joked, but he sounded like he might have been trying.

Kurt grabbed his swim trunks as soon as they hung up. “You take the bathroom, Kätzchen,” he offered. “You take much, _much_ longer than me.”

She swatted him with her suit as she passed him, and he pretended she'd actually hurt him, rubbing his bottom and pouting. Kitty rolled her eyes and phased into the bathroom to change, wishing she was the one rubbing that taut backside.

She'd brought all her swimsuits, knowing the hotel had at least three different heated pools, and that the honeymoon suite had a hot tub. Now that she was putting this one on, a red bikini with embroidered swirls on the left cup and hip, she felt strangely modest. It was ridiculous of course. Kurt had seen her in swimsuits a thousand times, even seen her naked that time the Warwolf swallowed her. This felt different though, maybe because it was just the two of them and the entire place was intended to exude romance. She swept her curls up into a high ponytail and sent herself out bravely, pretending to be confident and at ease.

Kurt's grin when she emerged was just short of mocking. “See, you do take longer than me. Here. It's too cold to walk out without one,” he said as he handed her a thick white robe. “I turned the heater on in the tub, so it should be ready.”

He held the robe for her as she stepped into it, once again playing the part of the gentleman. Kitty corrected herself. This wasn't Kurt playing a part, it was who he was. She completed her spin with an affectionate kiss on his cheek. Maybe their newlywed ruse was rubbing off on her. Or maybe she was taking advantage of it. Either way, he barely reacted.

“Ready?” he said, and they went out onto the frigid deck.

“Oh my god,” she gasped when her bare foot touched the deck decking. She wished she'd worn her flip flops, but she was here now. In the next instant, Kurt's arm was around her waist lifting her off the ground as he carried her the short distance to the side of the hot tub. He set her down on the top step and took her robe. Kitty was sure she was blushing over her entire body, but it was so cold she wasn't sure he'd be able to see it. She shivered as she quickly stepped into the bubbling water.

The hot tub was large enough for more than two, with stairs descending into the water and seating all around. The deck railing, she realized as she sank into the water, had clear panels set into posts, so their view of the scenery was almost completely unobstructed.

“Don't sit over there, you can't see the mountains,” Kitty said when he started to sit opposite her.

He paused. “But I can see _you_ ,” he said.

His voice, always soft and warm, was as liquid as the water they were sitting in. She had a sudden image of herself standing in the middle of the hot tub taking off her top so he could really see her, and she had to look away. She fixed her gaze over his shoulder at the peaks of the mountains, snow-capped and almost glowing in the darkness, and wondered how he'd react to something so bold. The sky was not yet black above them, though the stars were out overhead. She focused on them until she could think clearly again.

“Sit with me,” she said when she looked back and he was still on the other side of the tub. “Please?” She reached across to tug at his hand, and situated herself under his arm when he complied at last. She might not be brazen enough to strip for him, but she wasn't going to lose an opportunity to rub her bare skin against his soft velvety fur. “Now that we have the rest of the week to do whatever we want, do you have any requests?”

“I hadn't given it much thought,” he said honestly. “I had no idea we'd luck out with this group the way we did. I figured we'd spend the whole week dealing with them and be too tired to do anything but crash at the end of the day.”

“You want me to get the hotel brochure? It's on the table inside,” she offered. She really didn't want to move from her comfortable position in his arms.

“No, I can get it much faster and more efficiently.” Before she could protest, he was gone in a bamf of purplish smoke that wafted away on the breeze. She was glad, because a second burst accompanied his return, along with a healthy soaking of water as he landed back in the tub.

“Really?” Her hair was drenched, strings dripping down her face as she glared at him, unamused.

He wiped the strands out of her eyes. “Did you expect me to tiptoe back in?” He looked very pleased with himself.

“You just like splashing people. Amanda told me how you rescued Candy Southern. Teleporting all over New York in nothing but your birthday suit like an idiot.”

“She told you that?” His laugh sounded strained, and he actually looked embarrassed.

“Yep.” It was Kitty's turn to be pleased with herself, dragging out his discomfort. “I remember that day, too. We were all at Amanda's apartment afterwards and you couldn't stop sneezing. Poor Candy was so distraught, she never even got a peek.”

Kurt made a snorting noise and Kitty laughed. He'd saved Candy's life that day, and in spite of Kitty's teasing, she knew if he'd taken the time to dress, she would have died. He arrived as she was tossed out the window of Warren's apartment on the umpteenth floor of a high rise.

Kurt sank down in the water to his neck and Kitty lay back against him. She knew he wasn't upset when he put his arm around her and she felt the heavy press of his jaw against her head. She returned to the issue of how to entertain themselves over the following six days. He held out the brochure, open to the list of Things to Do at Diamante.

“How about ice skating? Look at this outdoor rink.”

“You can. I doubt they have skates to fit me, though.” His hand sifted through her wet hair, sweeping it over her shoulder one small strand at a time. She leaned into his shoulder, almost cheek to cheek.

“Nope, something else then. I'd rather do stuff together. One of the hiking trails?”

“Certainly. I can wear my own shoes.”

“What do _you_ want to do?” she said. She flipped the brochure to the next page. “Oh, we _have_ to swim. Look at that pool. How do they get the water to do that?”

“It's three different pools with infinity edges on a stair-step terrace. At least, that's what the description says. Skiing is out of the question, but I'd like to try snow tubing. I've never done that before.”

“Okay. Then we'll put that on the list.”

Kitty settled against him, squirming slightly closer. Cuddled up to him in a hot tub outside their own personal cabin felt exactly as romantic as it was supposed to. Only they weren't lovers. For a moment, she imagined that they were, and that they'd go inside after a while and make love and sleep late. Maybe sit in front of a fire and talk and kiss. She sighed.

“Are you tired?” he asked. When he held her close like he was, his arm around her and his thumb rubbing softly, she felt like nothing in the world could possibly be wrong.

“Not very. A little maybe.”

His mention of sleepiness reminded her that soon it would be time to pull back the luxury sheets and get into that bed with him. The thought probably should have made her nervous, but she'd fallen asleep in his arms plenty of times over the years, and it only made her feel content. He'd be warm and smell faintly of brimstone, and his heart would beat steadily in her ear when he pulled her close. She felt cozy just thinking about it.

The hot tub soothed muscles Kitty didn't know were tense. She sank deeper against Kurt and he coiled his tail around her knees and his arms around her waist. She ran her fingers absently along his arm, allowing herself a moment to admire the hard muscle lying beneath such soft fuzz. He was dichotomy personified. She traced the muscles again, considering this, until he leaned down to her ear.

“That's rather ticklish.”

“Oh. Sorry,” she said, flattening her hand against his wrist. “What time is it?”

“Late.”

“We should get out before we turn into prunes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Definition of Ponzi Scheme, by Merriam-Webster online dictionary: an investment swindle in which some early investors are paid off with money put up by later ones in order to encourage more and bigger risks   
> Defined by Wikipedia: is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. The scheme leads victims to believe that profits are coming from product sales or other means, and they remain unaware that other investors are the source of funds.


	3. The Benefits and Drawbacks of Pretending to Be Married to Your Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has sex.

Kurt dried off in the bedroom and looked over the brochure while he waited for Kitty. When she finished her shower, she came out with a towel around her head and the same white robe tied at her waist. The domestic scene made his heart lurch, and he wished he could admit what he felt for her without risking her friendship. It wasn't that he thought she'd forgo the friendship, but it would change in ways he didn't want to explore.

The shower was enormous, tiled in what felt like real stone. There were six jets on each of the three walls, and each showerhead was the size of a throw pillow. It took him so long to work through the settings that he was sure Kitty would think he'd drowned in here. Maybe she'd come in to check on him. He amused himself with those thoughts while he fiddled with the knobs and controls.

He finally found a setting he could use to get clean, though his mind still wandered. He wondered if Kitty would be awake when he finished. It had certainly been a tiring day, from flying out, meeting the limo at the airport, attending that hellish conference, and dealing with the gamut of emotions that had dredged up. Dinner and dancing had been nice, and the hot tub had been almost perfect. He could let his imagination fill in some blanks and make it even more perfect, but he was about to get in bed beside her and he needed to get those kinds of thoughts under control.

She was awake, her knees drawn up under the covers and her arms hooked over them. “I left the lights on for you,” she said, knowing full well he didn't need them.

“ _Danke_ ,” he said, appreciating the gesture anyway. He rubbed at his hair. “I'll just be a few minutes. I am still a bit damp.” He hadn't put his shirt on yet. It was bad enough to have his pants sticking to him and creeping up uncomfortably. He should have stayed in the bathroom longer.

“C'mere, I'll help.”

He walked over slowly, not entirely sure what she intended, but he gave her the towel and she began vigorously rubbing across his shoulders and down his back.

“Turn.”

He turned around dutifully, a quirky smile on his face as she repeated the process on his chest. Did her eyes linger or was it his imagination? She handed him the towel.

“There. Now come to bed. I'm cold.”

 _Come to bed_. Again, that domestic feeling made his heart beat faster. If only she could always be waiting for him in their bed, or joining him there. He would have to enjoy this week to the fullest. Who knew the next time he'd have such a perfect opportunity to be this close and affectionate with her?

“ _Ja_ , I'll be right there.”

Kitty watched him circle the room, draping his shirt over the back of a chair when he reached to lock the sliding door. The shirt was forgotten as he clicked the switches of the lamps and checked the cover on the sunken tub. Finally the room was dark, except the dim glow of a few night lights for safety, and Kurt eased into the bed. She stared in his direction, conscious that he could still see her, but hoping she was not so obvious as she might be in broad daylight. He was fluid grace, every muscle hard, but outlined in that improbably soft fuzz. She longed to run her hands through it, and press her whole body into it.

Kurt propped his head on his elbow and laid his other hand flat between them. “What a day,” he said, obviously searching for something to say that wouldn't highlight the fact they were sharing this honeymoon bed.

“Yeah. We've had crazier though.”

He nodded, a dark shadow except for the places where the nightlights glinted off his fur.

“Do you remember when we used to sleep on the floor of the train?” she said.

“Of course. Being between worlds on the Cross Time Caper was an adventure of its own.”

“It was _crazy_ is what it was.”

“Trying not to fall out of the bunks when the ride became turbulent.”

“Yeah, Widget wasn't always a smooth conductor.”

Kitty let herself remember those strange but strangely fun days, camped out on the floor of a train car, crushed together like sardines sometimes. She always slept best when she got the spot beside Kurt.

“At least there were no trains today,” he said, and his thumb tapped the mattress.

“Today was worse,” Kitty said.

“I don't know. Today was brief, and the train...” his voice trailed off.

“The train wasn't _that_ bad. Was it?” She laid her hand over his to feel him, the familiar difference of his two thick fingers. Had he hated it that much? Granted, it'd been cramped quarters, with long days of nothing to do but talk or be bored or argue with each other, but she and Kurt hadn't argued, except maybe once or twice.

“Only when you were gone.”

She found his golden eyes. “I tried to get back to you. I tried all night.”

“I remember you telling me.” He didn't like to imagine what that night must have been like for her, phasing through the wall and the broken gate over and over before finally giving up. Not knowing if they were alive or dead, not knowing if she'd ever see them again. Alone, more alone than when he'd been in the coma, until Sat-Yr-9 had come along. He shivered slightly and her hand curled over his, fingers slipping between his.

“Did you see me cheering?”

He chuckled. “Yes, pretending to be a blond. But it was only on a television recap later. I missed the real performance.”

“Is anything in our lives real? We pretend to be cheerleaders. Pretend to be brave. Pretend to be _married_.” Her laugh was more of a forced exhale, no sound.

“I agree, there is too much pretense at times.” Adrenaline rushed through his veins at the thought of ending one of those pretenses, telling her the truth. That he loved her.

“Sometimes it's necessary, though,” she said, “Like this week. We couldn't be here if they knew we weren't married. We couldn't have taken down the Ponzi scheme if they knew we were mutants. We had to be in disguise when we entered that cheering competition.”

“That is all true.” He knew why she was offering justification. Without it, their lives felt like a movie where the actors never got to go home.

“Besides,” she said, inching closer, her hand moving to his side. “Sometimes it's fun to make believe.”

“Also true. Halloween is a popular holiday here for a reason, I suppose.”

She tucked her head under his chin and rubbed her thumb along the back of his ribs. “I wonder sometimes if everyone is hiding something. Not letting people see the whole truth.”

“Maybe.” He thought again about what he kept form her every day, and things he'd kept from her in the past.

“When I was younger,” Kitty said, “I used to act like I wasn't as smart as I am. Or I tried. It didn't help much.”

“Why did you do that?”

“To fit in, I guess.”

Kurt understood that and he laid his arm around her shoulder, fingers tugging softly at her hair. They brushed the back of her neck as he played with her hair, and she closed her eyes, letting herself relax into the slightly tingling sensation.

After a few minutes, he stopped. “Are you asleep?” he whispered.

“No,” she said, but her voice sounded far away. She snuggled deeper into his chest, her palm flat against his side. “That feels good. Don't stop.”

He stroked her hair again and she sighed, deep and contented. She was vaguely aware of the pace of his heart and the careful way he exhaled, as if he was trying not to breathe too hard.

“Kurt?” Her voice came from somewhere along his sternum.

“Hm?”

“How do you feel about this fake marriage?”

How could he answer that? “It's all right.”

“Do you want to quit?”

Kitty was curled into him, her breath tickling the fuzz on his chest. Her fingers curled gently beneath her chin, moving softly as they brushed the fine hairs back and forth. He tried to close his eyes and relax, but she seemed to be moving closer, and he could feel every inch of her body against his. Her arm curled around his waist and laid along his spine, her thigh between his and her knee pressed perfectly into the dip the joints made there. She sighed, and he pulled her closer, going directly against everything he'd told himself he'd do. _Keep your distance, don't be too affectionate, don't fall into the trap of the game_.

“No.”

Her hair caught on the fuzz of his fingers as he twirled the curls around them and drew them out. Slowly he brought his hand to her shoulder and she tipped her head up, brushing her cheek against his fur. She slid her hand up his back to the nape of his neck, fingers raking through the fuzz. She pulled him to her and he closed his eyes against her touch, trying to rein himself in. He inhaled, but it was her scent. He tried to move, but her body was everywhere.

“Neither do I,” she said, and she kissed the hollow at the base of his neck.

Her hand slid down his side, every nerve ending on fire as she stroked lightly, tracing his hip bones and along his abs. She was going to kill him, but he'd rather die than tell her to stop. The palm of her hand rubbed across his nipple as she walked her fingers up his chest, and when he thought to shift away, every muscle in his body edged him closer instead. He felt her swallow.

“Maybe,” she said, her heart racing, her mind boggling that she was about to suggest this, “just for this week, pretending could be fun. Different.”

“How,” he began, and his voice caught, because he thought he knew the answer. He tried again. “How do you mean?”

She drew her hand down his chest, no question that her touch was intentional. He clenched his teeth to stifle the groan in his throat. She pressed her lips against his collarbone, dragging them along the bone as she answered.

“We're already playing husband and wife,” she said. “We could...”

“Yes,” he whispered before she finished asking.

“If you want.” Her voice was barely there.

He couldn't even breathe anymore. To hell with it all. “Yes,” he blurted. “I do, I want—you.”

She didn't answer with words, only a softly exhaled sound that was barely a moan as she followed the lines of his hip, her hand sliding into the back of his pants to reach his tail. With one finger, she circled the base of it and scratched lightly while his entire body tensed. Her lips continued moving along his collarbone, barely nipping into the fur as he agreed again.

“Yes,” he whispered in her ear, and her hand continued from his tail, over the muscular curve to the top of his thigh. She kissed his neck, and reached between his legs to tease his inner thigh.

More enthusiastically, “Yes, Kätzchen, _bitte_ , _bitte_...”

His fingers clutched at the air.

“Touch me,” she whispered. “I want this, too.”

He dove against her neck, kissing and sucking while she continued massaging his backside, fingers slipping around his tail and between his legs. He ground his pelvis against her thigh, desperate for some friction, and pushed the hem of her nightshirt over her hips, past her waist, kissing everywhere, murmuring her name into her skin. A little groan escaped Kitty's lips when he reached her breasts, lavishing them with attention. He lifted his mouth from her breast only long enough to pull the nightshirt off completely.

She squirmed, wanting more of him against her, and Kurt wanted that, too. He scrabbled at his pants, tugging the elastic waist over his tail and hips roughly in his rush to be naked beside her. Kitty pushed him to his back, straddling his hips and stretching along his torso to nuzzle at his shoulder and kiss a trail across his chest. She flicked her tongue across his nipples while her hips rolled forward and back, a tortuous press and release.

He slipped his hands under the waistband of her panties, squeezing and nudging them over her hips. She stopped rocking to help him remove them, and then pulled his own down. She shimmied down his legs, pulling his briefs until she flung them to the floor. Then, between one heartbeat and the next, her mouth was on him, and he was sinking into the bed, conscious of nothing but her lips and tongue and hands.

Her fingers wrapped around him while her hair tickled his thighs. He gathered up a handful of hair and held it away from her face so he could see her, see what she was doing to him. His imagination had not done justice to the reality of her pleasing him like this. He moved his legs to give her more space and she opened her mouth along his length, sliding down, down. His hand fell away from her hair, clutching at the covers.

When she paused to look up at him and lick her lips, he had to have those lips on his. In one fluid motion he rolled down and flipped her, running his hands up her sides and cupping her breasts. He moved for her mouth, but she threw her head back, exposing her neck. He kissed the hollow base and she sighed, a sound so beautiful he immediately had to hear it again. His lips moved over her neck, nibbling his way to her ear as she trilled those soft pleading sounds. She panted and clutched at his hair, cradling him between her legs and pressing her hands into the small of his back.

“Kurt, I...I...ohh...”

He trailed a finger up her inner thigh and licked a circle around her breast. His hand crept towards her center while his tongue licked teasingly close to her nipple. At last he reached both, and she quivered, her body taut, mouth open in a silent plea. He swirled his tongue around and around her breast and her nipple while his thumb mimicked the action between her legs until she arched her back and cried out, trembling. While she panted, he scooted down between her legs and slid his tongue along the wetness, delving inside and then licking straight up. Every sound she made sent aching pleasure through his groin.

“Kitty, please,” he said, skimming his hands over her parted thighs. “May I—”

“God yes, Kurt.” She rolled to her stomach and spread her legs wide.

He had no more words, only desire, as he gripped her raised hips and felt her hand helping guide him in. Pitching forward, he braced one hand on the mattress as he thrust into the sweet warmth of Kitty's body. She arched her back and he pressed forward more, and more, that sleek wet heat nearly driving him mad. Her whimpering moan reverberated through the mattress when he slid out and back in again. Kurt's tail wound around her waist while he met her hips again and again, each time with more enthusiasm, until they were both lost in the quest for release. When she came, it was with shuddering groans. Kurt tipped over the edge, burying himself one final time as the mounting pressure finally spilled outward.

Kitty didn't move, only panted, hands still gripping the sheets, still making soft moaning sounds as she breathed. Kurt stretched out beside her, blissfully, physically spent but emotionally unsettled. He was foolish to agree to this, but _Gott_ , it had felt so good.

She moved restlessly beside him, turned her head and shoved herself in his direction. He put his arms around her and stroked her back gently. Damn him for being incapable of telling her no.


	4. You Should Probably Go Snow Tubing

Kurt woke before Kitty. She was still tangled up in him, as she'd been throughout the night. He'd slept fitfully, and each time he woke, she was beside him, some part of her always touching him. He allowed himself a soft sigh and put his hand over his eyes. He'd barely slept and he felt it in his bones. Last night had been both a dream come true and a worst-case scenario. He didn't want her body alone, he wanted her love. But he'd gone along with it and now he'd have to deal with the consequences. He should have told her no, and slept on the couch. Her disappointment would have been easier to deal with, and talk about, than this.

Kitty shifted as she woke, and her hand slipped over his chest, hooking around his shoulder as she drew herself up alongside him.

“Hey.”

“ _Guten Morgen_ , Kätzchen,” he said, but even he could tell there was no feeling in his voice.

“Didn't you sleep well?”

He considered lying, but there was already so much of that between them. He didn't want to add to it when it wasn't necessary. “No, honestly, not very well.”

She didn't reply, and he guessed she knew what had caused his tumultuous night. She played with the fur at his shoulder, rubbing it back and forth firmly enough that it didn't tickle.

“Are you upset with me?” she said after a long while.

He covered her hand and kissed it. “No, not at all. You didn't upset me. Last night was...” He recalled her hands on his body, her lips and mouth thrilling him, “... _unglaublich_. But I do have some questions.”

“Okay.”

“I need to be certain I know where you stand on this. Your expectations.”

Kitty looked thoughtful as she smoothed her hand down his chest, laying all the short fuzz down in one direction before beginning again at his shoulder. She found it was harder to put into words in the morning light than it had been to show him with her body last night.

“It was my idea,” she said.

“Yes, and I agreed to it. But going forward...”

“I think,” she said slowly, “All this mutant cure Ponzi scheme, fake marriage stuff...All that talk about pretending. Nothing feels real except you. I wanted to be close to you, _closer_.”

“I wanted that, too,” he said, gently touching her cheek with the back of one finger. “Although, I admit, I did not expect it.”

“Are you sure you're not mad?”

“Mad? No, of course I am not _mad_. Surprised, yes.”

“Good surprised, or bad surprised?” He could see her chewing her lip, and last night's desire to kiss her returned with overwhelming urgency.

He ran the backs of his fingers down her arm. “Good surprised.” _No, no, no_ , his brain screamed at him, _what are you doing_?

Kitty tucked her knee between his and rolled halfway onto him, propping herself on her elbow.

“We're still friends?”

“Of course,” he assured her. “Always.”

“So...we've got a week here. Would you mind, I mean, would you _like_ to maybe do this again?”

His body was already answering for him, but he said, “I have one request.”

“Okay.”

“I would like to kiss you.”

Kitty smiled as she leaned up to meet his lips. For a man who was almost all muscle, he was shockingly soft, not just his fur, but his lips and his gentle touch, as he caressed her side, fingers drifting over her stomach and hip and then up. She was fooling herself and she knew it, telling herself it was for this week only, that they would go home and go back to the way things were. She knew it wouldn't happen but her body's desires were short circuiting her common sense, and she reached down to feel him hard against her palm. They were going to miss breakfast.

  
  


Fortunately, the breakfast buffet was kept open until an hour before lunch, and they had plenty of time to spare. The buffet was extensive, with any kind of egg you could ask for, waffles, pancakes, biscuits, sausages, meats, and fruit. Kurt took it all in, wishing he could eat like this at home every day.

Kitty found it surprisingly easy to pretend everything was fine between them afterwards, because truthfully, being with Kurt had felt more right than being with any of her previous lovers. After their talk that morning, which Kitty acknowledged hadn't really addressed much at all, Kurt seemed more like himself. Once they'd dressed, it was like nothing had happened. It would have been disappointing, Kitty thought, if it hadn't felt so _natural_.

The marquee outside the conference room still said the presentation was canceled, and messages from Scott indicated Kitty's campaign had done enough damage to shut them down. PharmaSure had been exposed as a front company for a foreign distributor of placebos, and investors were already lawyering up. Kitty grinned triumphantly.

“Serves 'em right,” she declared. “So you wanna hike today?”

“It looks like a good day for it. The sun is out.”

“I'll see if there's a map.” The hotel had several miles of walking trails and a guide to the natural sights along each. Kurt watched the graceful motion of her hips as she walked back to him, her eyes on the pamphlet in her hand even as she lowered herself into her chair across from him. She handed it to him so she could finish her breakfast.

They headed out into the crisp air, hand in hand, playing the part of newlyweds for the hotel staff. Sometimes the hotel photographer would appear seemingly out of nowhere, take a few pictures, then disappear again with a smile and a thumbs-up. It was part of the paperwork they'd had to sign and agree to in order to accept the prize.

The hiking trail was more of a lazy walking path, they discovered, that wound through gardens, a dormant orchard, and along a semi-frozen stream. It was still pretty and quiet, and from the top of a rise they had a view of both the hotel and the mountains. Kurt propped his elbow on her shoulder and looked around happily. They found an ornate wrought-iron bench beside the path and sat down to admire the scenery.

“I think,” Kurt said wistfully as he leaned back and stretched out his legs, “that if we could treat our enemies to a relaxing weekend like this instead of constantly beating them up, we might make more progress. I could agree to almost anything right now.”

Kitty was about to tell him he already had, but a van in the hotel parking lot caught her attention. She nudged Kurt and pointed. “PharmaSure,” she said.

The workers were knee deep in piles of cardboard boxes, and it was impossible to tell if they were loading or unloading them. Kitty assumed they contained promotional materials they weren't able to distribute after they got shut down. She grinned.

“Slimy bastards.”

The van pulled away at last, all the boxes having been dealt with. When they were gone, Kitty realized that Kurt had been on edge, too. Anti-mutant zealots were nothing to mess with. They played dirty and they didn't care who died in the crossfire. She didn't want to think about them anymore.

“Rockies or Alps?” Kitty asked, turning on the bench to drape one leg across Kurt's lap.

“Is that supposed to be a question?” he asked, extending one lean arm along the back of the bench to stroke her shoulder with his thumb. His other rested on her calf, patting it as he replied. “There is no comparison.”

“Did you ever hike the Alps?”

“Not as such, but we traveled through them on occasion. Are you all right?” He tapped her leg.

“Yep. I just thought I'd see if I could trick you into giving me a calf massage.”

“No need to trick me. Just ask.”

They remained quiet for a while, enjoying the solitude and peace of the fresh mountain air and the rustling of trees in the wind. Kurt rubbed her leg, from ankle to knee, squeezing just enough to elicit a contented sigh from her now and then.

“This is what we should spend the week doing,” she said, “Massaging each other until we're too limp to go home.”

“Just massaging?”

She giggled and blushed. “And a few other things.”

“How would we eat?” he said, as his hand smoothed over her knee and his arm on the bench stretched closer to her, fingers tickling the back of her neck.

“Straws.” She leaned forward slightly. His hand was halfway up her thigh, and she waited, her heart racing, to see how far he would go. When his hand slid back down her leg, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. “For a minute, I thought you were going to keep going.”

He chuckled. “An admirable idea, but we should go inside for that. I don't want you to freeze.”

“I don't think I could,” Kitty said as she stood up. “Not with you touching me.”

Kurt got to his feet and they started along the path. He stopped abruptly and turned to her. “Could I kiss you?”

“Yes,” she said, and slid her hand along his cheek to bury her fingers in his hair. He kissed her tenderly and too briefly before returning to their walk.

It felt so easy and natural with Kurt, teasing and playing and kissing, as if they'd been together for years. She refused to entertain thoughts as to why that might be, or why Kurt had gone along so willingly so quickly.

  
  


“Hm. Which dimension did I _dislike_ the most?” Kitty repeated his question as she thought about it, debating between her first and last. Which was worse, being turned into an adult in order to marry a twelve-year old prince, or being separated from her friends? “I'll go with Jamie's racing world. You? Can't pick the same one.”

“Unfair. But all right. My _second_ least favorite was...the one with all the pollution, where the analogs of you and Illyana were evil and she killed you.”

Kitty made a face.

“ _Ja_ , I believe she threw you out a window.”

“I'm glad I wasn't there for that one.”

“It was so soon after you were separated from us, and seeing you there was...” he paused to squeeze her hand.

“Aw, you missed me?”

“Desperately, Kätzchen.”

“What about a favorite? Did you have a favorite world?” Kitty asked, enjoying his hand in hers, swinging between them.

“I think I'd have to say Barsoom, but only _after_ Anjulie was defeated.”

“Okay. I'll say the Western England one, but before we got attacked. And without the bear suit.”

“Mm, that was not particularly flattering.”

“Your dress was, though,” Kitty said.

They'd come back around to the front of the hotel, and decided to pass through the main lobby to see what was on the schedule for the rest of that day and the next, and see the main dining hall's dinner menu.

“Tubing for beginners starts in thirty minutes. Should we go?” Kitty asked, remembering what Kurt had mentioned in the hot tub before.

“Why not? There's still time for us to change and grab our snow boots.”

They hurried down the path to the cabin and as soon as they were inside, Kitty's heart began to race. There was the bed, no longer rumpled from last night. Housekeeping had been in to sweep and change the linens and restock the refrigerator. Kitty pulled out her warmest sweater and snow pants, and when she turned to go into the bathroom, Kurt was standing in his underwear pulling on his snow pants.

“Oh,” she said before she could snap her mouth shut.

His disconcerted expression made Kitty stammer an apology. “Sorry, I didn't mean to startle—I was...You were...” She trailed off, unsure if he was amused or embarrassed at her reaction.

“Should I go into the bathroom?” he said, the hint of sly grin tugging at his lips.

“No, please don't.”

He pulled his snow pants on and snapped them, then finished dressing. She tossed her clothes on the bed and opted not to change in the bathroom. It was silly, when they'd spent hours naked together, exploring every inch of each other's bodies. “I was just surprised.”

He smirked then. “Good surprised, or bad surprised?”

“Good surprised. Don't you know you're hot?”

“I have been described in numerous ways, Kätzchen, but I don't know if _hot_ is a word I've ever heard used.”

“Huh. Well, that's weird, because you are. Ready to go?”

“ _Ja_ , but first,” he said, and bent to kiss her. She parted her lips for him, but again, he kept it frustratingly short. “Now I'm ready.”


	5. Villains Are So Annoying When They Interrupt Vacation

The hotel boasted six tubing lanes not far from the main building. It reminded Kitty of a water park she'd been to, only instead of water, it was snow. Reaching the top of the hill required either a hike up the snowy path, or a ride on a lift that looked like a conveyor belt in a tunnel. At the top, the introductory class turned out to be a ten minute instruction on how to choose tubes and lanes.

“The color of the tube tells you how fast it is. Green ones are the fastest. We also have double tubes over there,” the instructor explained, waving his hand towards a stack of double tubes at the end of the lanes. A small group of seven people, including them, listened impatiently, and as soon as the instructor was finished, they rushed for the tubes.

“Fast, right?” Kitty said as she grabbed a green tube.

“Of course. Go a few times alone and try a double?”

“Yeah. Race?”

His expression was her answer. Even with his false face she could imagine the devious, happy smirk. Kitty threw herself into her tube to beat him to the start, but he still won. They hurried back up to go again. Laughing with Kurt like this made her almost forget that she was supposed to be pretending to be married to him, while pretending at the same time that she did not love him, and that she was content to be friends with benefits for the week. Thinking about it all made her head spin, but at that moment, teasing him about losing the most recent tube race because he'd been distracted, there was only the pleasant afternoon game and the thrill of speeding down a hill in an inflatable tube.

“Try the double?” Kurt suggested after they'd been down several times alone.

Kitty sat in front, and if she tipped her head back far enough, she could see Kurt, upside down, grinning. He kept his hands on her shoulders or her arms, or in her hands.

Kitty was surprised at how much fun the afternoon was. There were a couple of curves on one of the lanes that made her feel like she was airborne. Even the double tube felt like it was flying. They spent hours tubing and occasionally heading into the snack cabin at the bottom of the hill for hot chocolate.

Kitty's fingers and toes were freezing by the time they finished. They were in the snack cabin, sitting by the window sipping hot chocolate and coffee. She wrapped her fingers around her mug to warm them.

“Your nose is pink from the cold,” Kurt said as he sipped his coffee.

“All of me is probably pink from the cold.”

He lowered his eyes and his voice and leaned closer. “Should I check?”

In answer, she grabbed the collar of his parka and pulled him in for a kiss, not letting him pull away until she was satisfied. The look on his face was the perfect mix of surprised and pleased.

“We won't have time,” Kitty said as she glanced at the clock. “By the time we get back to the cabin, we'll have to change for dinner.”

“We don't have to go.”

“I'm starving. And there might be dancing again,” she said.

  
  


They hung their wet clothes in the bathroom and Kitty wished they had time to light the fireplace to warm up. They barely had time to wash up and change, but the afternoon's fun had been worth it. It was so rare to be able to do something fun. For several hours, she'd almost forgotten about things like anti-mutant zealots and mutant cures and registration laws.

Kurt dressed in the main room again, and she told herself it didn't mean anything, because _none_ of what they were doing here meant anything. It was almost as if they were doppelgangers of themselves, like they'd seen in so many different dimensions on their travels. Maybe that explained why the Cross Time Caper kept coming to mind. Kitty slipped into her dress, a low-cut blue sheath that shimmered in the light.

“Kurt?”

She could see his chest rise and fall from halfway across the room as he looked at her. “ _Ja_?”

“Would you zip this for me?” She didn't need help, she just wanted his hands on her.

He came around behind her slowly, as if he knew her game, his hands going to her hips before grasping the zipper pull to draw it slowly up. He skimmed the bare skin of her back, brushing her hair aside to place a line of kisses up her spine to the nape of her neck until she shivered.

“Still cold?” His breath was warm against her neck and she felt the soft touch of his lips as he murmured in her ear.

“Not anymore.”

“Time to go,” he said, and took her coat off the hook by the door to help her into it.

They were halfway through the meal when Kurt spotted the man.

“Isn't that the PharmaSure speaker?” he asked in the same tone he'd been using as they discussed plans for the following day. With only her eyes, Kitty glanced in the direction he subtly indicated with his fork.

“I think so. Wonder why he's back?”

“As long as he's not selling fake mutant cures, I suppose it's not a problem. But we should watch him.”

“Yeah,” Kitty said. Back to work.

Kurt's tail crept up her leg and wound around, just below her knee.

“Don't worry,” he said. “We can still have fun spying. Creeping around in dark, deserted corners and all of that.”

Kitty gave a short chuckle for his effort. She hadn't meant to sound so disappointed. Throughout their dinner, she tried to remember this was the real reason they'd come here, to find out more about PharmaSure and what they were doing with their supposed mutant cure. It was the only reason they'd accepted the honeymoon prize package. That memory made her wonder again why Kurt had been at all willing to go along with her game. Did he accept _any_ such invitation? Would he have slept with her years ago if she'd asked? Did it mean nothing at all? She stabbed her vegetables and scolded herself. Of course it meant nothing. That was the point.

She wasn't in the mood to dance, but he asked so nicely, she couldn't turn him down. After all, he'd done what she wanted, hadn't he? She had only herself to blame for making the suggestion in the first place. And it wasn't his fault the PharmaSure man had come back. She glanced at him as they weaved through the tables to the dance floor. He was talking and eating. The woman with him seemed to be doing the same, but when Kitty made eye contact with her, she was sure they were watching.

Kurt danced slowly, the kind of nameless swaying kids do in high school sometimes, and she put her head on his shoulder. “Can you still see them?” she whispered in his ear. “The woman was watching us.”

He didn't run his hands over her back or her hips, or wind his tail sinfully up her leg. It was like he'd flipped a switch into superhero mode and she was simply a teammate again. It shouldn't have bothered her as much as it did.

“Mm. He's still having dinner.” He swayed them around in a circle so she could see. “Can you see him now? I don't recognize the woman.”

“I think she was at one of the back tables.” Kitty swept the room as they danced in a slow circle, looking for more of them. “I think I see the guy who talked to us at the door. He's with another woman.”

“Why are they all still here?” Kurt said. The song ended and a new one began. He took her hand to waltz with her.

“I wish I knew,” Kitty mumbled. Each time she faced them, she tried not to stare, tried to look like a happy wife enjoying her honeymoon, but she was still fighting disappointment.

“They're getting up and coming this way, Kätzchen,” Kurt whispered when her back was to them. The two couples joined the others on the dance floor, and soon they were dancing on either side of them.

“Well look who it is, Gina,” said the man from the door. “The _newlyweds_.”

“ _Hallo_ ,” Kurt said. Kitty kept her mouth closed.

“The liars,” Gina said.

Kitty went stiff in Kurt's arms and bit her lip to keep quiet. His arms around her never wavered, but she could feel tension rippling in his muscles under the suit, ready to fight if they tried anything.

“Interesting choice of words, considering the source,” Kurt replied.

Kitty wished they'd start something and give her an excuse to fight. How dare these hateful people come back and ruin her vacation? She and Kurt had been having such a good time.

“We did a little research of our own,” the man said. “We know who you are, and we know _what_ you are. Freaks.”

Kitty's head came up and Kurt caught her fist before she punched him.

“At least we aren't conning people with fake medicine!” she spat.

“It isn't fake,” Gina replied and Kitty saw the man reach into his pocket. She phased herself and Kurt and when the man lunged with the syringe, his hand went through them.

Kurt said, very loudly, “Sir, take your hands off my wife!”

Kitty shoved the man, while hotel security came over. Gina and the man tried to walk away, but security had already seen them. To almost anyone else, it looked like the man had lunged at Kitty. The other two PharmaSure people, who'd only been observing, disappeared into the crowd, while Gina and the man were stopped and questioned.

Kitty and Kurt went over to explain that the man, whose name was Lewis, had been dancing close and Kitty had felt him touch her backside. When she confronted him, he tried to shove her. Lewis denied it, but security escorted them out of the room and advised them to steer clear of their special guests. She and Kurt left immediately afterwards.

She was in a sour mood now, and stumbled in her heels. “Stupid hill,” she muttered. “Dress up, they say. Look nice. Then walk down this giant mountain in yoooop!”

Kurt lifted her, hooking his arms under her backside before flinging her up into a cradle hold. She squealed and clung to his neck. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you a ride.”

She was still annoyed, but the sheer ridiculousness of it all, her in her tight dress and heels, him in his suit, walking down a mountainside after being threatened made her laugh.

“All right, Romeo,” she said, “Carry me home then.”

When they arrived at the doorstep of the cabin, he set her down carefully, then opened the door for her. She was still disappointed, but as she watched his image return to that of her fuzzy blue friend, she wanted nothing more than to stand there in his arms the rest of the night.

“Thanks, Kurt,” she said, the words inadequate for what she felt.

  
  


Kitty didn't bother taking her dress off, she just sank onto the squishy couch and put her head in her hand to think. If those people were here and knew about them, then the cabin wasn't safe, and it was possible they had one of the legitimate cures that other pharmaceutical companies had manufactured in the past. They weren't hard to get. Kurt started the fire and tossed his jacket onto his suitcase.

“I'm sorry our relaxing week has been ruined,” he said as he sat down beside her.

Kitty frowned. “It's not that,” she lied. “These guys are criminals. Ugh, why are they still here?”

“I wish I knew, Kätzchen. I would send them away.”

“I'm worried that whatever was in that syringe wasn't the PharmaSure fake stuff,” she said.

“The thought occurred to me as well. Perhaps we should call Scott.”

Kitty sighed. “Yeah. Probably. Won't _that_ be fun.”

“No, but it would probably be for the best,” Kurt said. He tapped his fingers on the back of the couch and looked at her. “You seem more upset about this than I would have expected.”

“I'm not upset,” she insisted stubbornly. “I'm mad they aren't in jail somewhere.” She picked up her head. “In fact...”

She got up quickly and grabbed her laptop. “Maybe I can find out what's going on.”

Kurt slid down the couch to sit beside her, keeping a respectful distance. If they were working, then there was no more kissing and touching. The game was on hold, maybe over completely. They'd have to be on alert, which meant they couldn't be distracted. Kitty wished he could find those guys and teleport them into a pit somewhere for a week...

“Charges haven't been filed yet,” she said. “I'm going to do some digging on all four of them.”

“Would you like a snack?”

“No thanks. I'm full from dinner.” Kurt got up and changed out of his suit and into his pajamas, both pants and shirt this time, and Kitty tried to remember that they were still here, and still together. But she couldn't stop wishing he was shirtless, arms open, waiting for her.

Kitty hunched over the computer, concentrating. Kurt watched her for a few moments, wanting to go to her, put his hands on her shoulders, kiss her hair and slide that dress off. A sharp stab of irritation went through him, and he turned to the large window overlooking the deck. _Verdammt_ scammers, coming back to harass them and ruin their vacation. To ruin this dangerous game Kitty had started, that he was enjoying a rather terrifying amount.

“I know what rooms they're in,” Kitty said.

Kurt snapped his head around. “Do you?”

She was grinning. “What do you want to do? Teleport 'em into a pit somewhere?”

He rubbed his chin while he considered their options. “They _did_ threaten us,” he mused. “And Lewis _did_ put his hands on you. A good husband—”

“Kurt...”

“He would have, if you hadn't phased us.”

“Yeah, I know. Plus they're assholes.”

Kurt tapped his tail against the window. “Let's get them out of here,” he said. “Let's come up with a plan and get them out of our hair for the rest of the week at least.”

“Okay. We know they have something in a syringe, that we have to assume is viable anti-mutant serum of some kind. And they've threatened to use it on us. I could hack their reservations.”

Kurt's eyebrow rose. “Good start. Now we need a way to keep them away. I don't trust them not to come after us. And I hesitate to suggest actual kidnapping, as appealing as leaving them in a pit might be.”

“I have an idea. What if we pretend to be a buyer or something...and we want to set up a meeting somewhere like Hong Kong or Sydney?”

“That's an excellent idea. Give them a better reason to leave than to stay.” He started towards the couch.

“It'll have to be really good though, and something they can prove.”

“Right, or they'll suspect because of the coincidence.”

“I think I can handle it,” she said, as he lowered himself onto the cushion beside her.

“Of course you can. And when they leave...” He slid his arm around her shoulders.

Kitty grinned. “We can let Scott know exactly where they'll be.”

She got to work setting up a fake email account. “I'm going to say I'm a buyer interested in taking over their scheme under a different name, in a different country, and willing to share the profits with them. Cash up front. Think that might work? Oh, and I'll say the deal is only good for 24 hours and if they want to take it, they have to agree to meet in person.”

“ _Perfekt_ ,” Kurt said.

“Done,” Kitty announced. “Now to wait and see what happens.”

Kurt leaned closer. “Meanwhile, who says we can't enjoy the fire?”

“I need to get out of this dress first.”

“Do you need help with the zipper?” he said under his breath, in case she wanted to pretend she didn't hear him.

“Yes.”

Kitty turned her back to him and he pulled her hair aside, his hand moving down her arm. He kissed her shoulder and her neck and was reaching for the zipper when something made a noise on the deck. He froze and whispered in her ear. “Did you hear that?”

“Sure did,” she whispered back.

“I'll get my swords.”

She turned. “You brought them?”

“Of course,” he said. He jumped over the back of the sofa and she followed, acting again, and giggling as if they were oblivious to the intruders outside. Kurt's suitcase was close to the windows, though, so she hoped they were easily accessible. As soon as the Ponzi people saw them, there would be a fight for sure.

Kurt took out the swords and held them aloft, but no one punched through the glass. Maybe they were afraid. “Shall we go find our visitors, Kätzchen?” he said as he tossed her one.

“Just like playing pirates in the Danger Room,” Kitty quipped, “Except in a really tight dress.”

“Ah, but better that than naked.”

“You'd love that.”

“I would. But _you_ wouldn't, so it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable for me. Perhaps another time?”

Kurt teleported outside before she could answer, and Kitty followed, phasing through the door. It was freezing outside, but when Gina, Lewis, and the other two attacked, she warmed up quickly. She knocked one of the syringes aside with the sword, and the goon leaped back. Frustrated at the way her dress hindered her movements, Kitty hiked it up over her hips, very unladylike, and went after the man. He grabbed for a deck chair, but it was too heavy to lift, so he scrambled behind, trying to block her. His eyes flicked over Kitty's shoulder. She whirled, sword extended, and Gina narrowly missed getting sliced. She lunged at Kitty again, and she phased. Gina crashed into the deck chair, sending her syringe skittering across the deck. Kitty ran to smash it with the sword before the man rushed her again. She dodged and swept her sword into his ankle, sending him sprawling across the deck.

On the other side, Kurt was having the same luck, and one of his assailants was already unconscious on the deck. The other was Lewis, who was doing a fair job of dodging Kurt's sword strokes. He was having fun with him, though Lewis was a pathetic opponent, and didn't even have a sword. He still had his syringe, though, and it worried her. If Lewis got a lucky shot, and Kurt didn't teleport in time...She couldn't think about what would happen. Imagining Kurt trapped in a standard human form, losing his agility and teleportation and more made her sick. It was all part of who he was, and while his personality would be the same, she didn't know how he'd deal with the rest of it.

She shouldn't have worried. Lewis went down with a heavy thud, and the only remaining thug gave up. He dropped the syringe and put his hands up. Kitty pulled her dress back down and pointed her sword at the man.

“You wanna hold him a sec?” she said. She phased the sword into his chest. “I _really_ hate fighting in a dress. So I'm pretty cranky, got it? Now, I go solid, and guess what happens to you?”

The man's eyes were wide with fear, but still full of hate. Kitty leaned in. “You take your little friends and get the hell out of here. Leave us alone. Take your stupid fake cures and your stupid hate and get lost. If you don't, I will come for _you_ personally.”

“O-o-okay,” he stammered. Kitty hoped he'd follow through. There was never a guarantee.

Kurt let go of him and stepped to Kitty's side, and the man ran, leaving the other three unconscious on the deck.

“Great,” she muttered.

“I have an idea.” He grabbed Kitty's face and kissed her thoroughly. “That was to celebrate our victory.”

Ten minutes later, Kurt had deposited the three crooks on the front steps of the hotel.

“Do you think they'll leave?” he said as he sank into the center of the couch, winded after three double teleports.

At the bed, Kitty undressed and put on her nightshirt. “I don't know. I'm going to watch their rooms and the email and see what happens. It's not too late, is it?”

“Not quite ten.”

She sat down beside him and pulled the laptop over. “I have movies on here if you want to watch something while we wait.”

“Which movies?”

She showed him what she had and they picked one, watching it on the laptop propped on Kitty's lap while Kurt rested his head on her shoulder. This they could do, at least, sit close and warm. His hand lay across her stomach, thumb rubbing idly. Now and then he took a long, deep breath, following it with a little kiss just below her neck where he was cuddled. She wondered which act it was, newlyweds or friends with benefits or something else entirely. Maybe she should tell him the truth.

A ping from her phone notified her of a new email, and they paused the movie to check. It was the PharmaSure guys replying. They wanted more information, and proof of who the buyer was. Hopeful and not at all surprised, Kitty provided what she'd prepared, more than enough information to fool them. They waited anxiously for fifteen long minutes and didn't turn the movie back on. At last, another email. They had accepted the deal.

Kurt gave her waist a happy squeeze and she pulled up the reservation page for the hotel. It wasn't long before the reservations for all four goons changed and were marked as departing in the morning. Kitty closed the laptop with a sharp snap, leaning over the arm of the couch to set it on the floor.

She knew her nightshirt would ride up, she knew he would have the perfect view of her backside. She felt his hand on her thigh.

“Don't fall,” he said, but the words were meaningless, his tone telling her what he was really thinking. She slid back into the corner of the couch and faced him, stroking his cheek gently.

“Feeling okay after all that hard work?” she said.

“I feel _wunderbar_.” His hand was no longer on her leg, but creeping under her nightshirt.

“Think it might be okay if we were a little distracted?”

“We should still be careful,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her neck.

“Yes, very careful.”

He pulled the hem of her nightshirt up, lips leaving her neck to lift it over her head. She didn't phase, enjoying the feel of him undressing her, hands and eyes on her. She reached for his shirt, only a few of the buttons done up, and she pushed it open before he kissed her, her hands skimming over soft fur and hard muscle.

She managed to remove his shirt before he tipped her back onto the sofa. His lips were soft and his tongue was hot, and oh, his tail was plucking at her panties, grazing the sensitive places each time he switched from one hip to the other. Kitty pulled his briefs off through his body and dropped them on the floor.

“Is that cheating?” he said and lowered his head to her neck.

“You want them back on?”

He made a low growling sound against her neck and she shivered slightly. Every time he shifted against her skin, she gasped. The way his velvety fur caressed her inner thighs and stomach and breasts made her want to arch against him. She yearned for more of his touch moving restlessly, raising her knees along his sides, curling her fingers into his backside to press him against her.

“Please,” she murmured, lips dusting the edge of his ear.

With a satisfied sound, he sat back on his knees and swept his eyes down her body. He pushed her knee up to her chest and kissed the back of her thigh all the way down, until she was whimpering his name and begging for him. He murmured something she didn't hear before lowering his head so that she couldn't think straight.

Every movement, no matter how small, sent chills down her legs and swirling in her belly, as soft fur brushed her skin. His hands and tail never stopped exploring her, lingering anywhere that made her moan or gasp. And all the while his lips and tongue continued. She came apart, unable to keep from moaning as he whispered against her skin words she could not hear.

Her legs felt rubbery when she finally came back to herself. Kurt lifted his cheek from her belly and kissed a gentle path up her body. When he leaned over her with that smug smile on his lips, she looked into his eyes and almost told him how she felt. To stop herself, she reached up to pull those devilish lips against hers. She had learned Kurt was an incredible kisser, of every body part, but his mouth on hers sent her brain into dizzying spirals, a fog she couldn't think through while her heart galloped away. She couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. Was it the tender caress of fuzz against her cheek and lips? Was it the way his tongue teased her? Was it his hands, holding her face so lovingly, fingers brushing over her skin?

He lifted his mouth, pressing little kisses into her lips as he left her. She held his gaze, those liquid amber eyes that swirled beautifully, betraying what he wanted. She shifted her hips and dragged her fingers through soft fuzz over hard muscles to find him. After a few moments stroking him, watching his eyes flutter closed, she brought him to her.

He made a pleased sound, rumbling deep in his chest. She was pleased, too, at the way he felt inside her, filling her, gliding in and out against slick flesh. She wrapped her arms around him and imagined she could tell him that she loved him, that he belonged with her.

Afterwards, Kurt carried her to the bed, making her laugh. Then he brought her nightshirt and underwear to her and put on his pants.

“In case they show up in the middle of the night,” he explained as he pulled his briefs on and climbed in beside her.


	6. Everything Is Wonderful When You Ignore What Isn't

The first thing Kitty did when she woke up was check the hotel's reservation status for the four PharmaSure jerks. They weren't marked checked out yet, but they had until eleven. She'd brought the laptop back to the bed and sat against the pillow while Kurt snuggled against her thigh.

She could absolutely get used to this. It felt perfectly _perfect_ to wake up with Kurt, smelling faintly of brimstone and sex. It should have been weird or awkward or at the least uncomfortable, but it wasn't. Any worries she'd had about getting along out of bed had evaporated the day before. It was so easy to be with him, whatever they were doing. She wondered if that was simply his nature, to set people at ease, even when they suggested things like having sex all week while pretending to be married at a luxury mountain resort and cyberstalking mutant cure criminals.

“They're still here,” she said as he burrowed deeper into her leg.

“I guessed as much by the noises you were making.”

“I wasn't making noises.”

“ _Ja_ , you were. Disgruntled noises.” He picked up his head to smirk at her. “I liked the noises you made last night better.”

“You weren't exactly silent, either,” she retorted, blushing but happy.

The thought surprised her. She _was_ happy, but fresh on its heels was the sharp reminder that when they left, this would end, and they'd go back to whatever their friendship turned into after this week. Could it withstand this? If they were both enjoying themselves, she thought it might. But if he wasn't, if he was only doing this because she had asked, then that would change everything.

“I could be, if you wanted,” he said, and his lips moved against her hip.

She put the computer down and scrunched lower in the bed until her face was level with his. “I want you to be happy.”

“I am happy,” he said with a smile.

“You're sure?”

He lifted his head. “Kätzchen, I am on vacation with my dearest friend at a mountain resort where the food is astonishingly good, the mountain views are _almost_ as good as in Germany, and I get to have sex with a beautiful woman every day, as long as she permits. What's not to be happy about?” He could list one or two things, but that would sour his good mood.

She shrugged, still feeling he was holding back, but she'd learned long ago that he wouldn't tell her anything he didn't want to tell her, no matter how she wheedled. She focused on something else instead.

“You think I'm beautiful?”

“Of course,” he said, as if it was the most ridiculous question he'd ever heard.

She wiggled against him. “What else?”

“Hm...you are smart, not just with computers but with many things. You're tough. You stand up for what you believe in. You are loyal and kind and...” he pulled her close with a quick motion and bent over her. “You taste delicious.” He nibbled at her collarbone as she laughed.

  
  


At breakfast they decided to go swimming in one of the hotel's pools. There was a large outdoor pool, heated, with a view of the mountains, an indoor, three-level pool that Kitty had noticed in the brochure, and a smaller, underground pool that somehow connected to the cave system nearby.

“The big pool is too much like the one at home,” Kitty said, “So I vote for one of the other two.”

“I agree. I'd rather do something we don't do at home.”

Kitty felt her cheeks flush. “We did that before breakfast.”

Kurt almost said something about it, broached the idea that this didn't have to end when they went home, but she seemed so hung up on it that he didn't want to risk finding out it really was just a game to her. He'd rather be kept in the dark about that.

“Mm, _ja_ , and possibly again later if you want. But I was referring to the pools.”

“You're enjoying this too much,” Kitty said. She slid her feet across beneath the table and he trapped them between his, while his invisible tail hooked underneath to tickle the backs of her knees. “Oh yeah, definitely too much.”

“Flip a coin?” he suggested.

“For what?”

“The pools.”

“Oh right. No, let's do the cave one today and the other one tomorrow.”

“A perfect plan, my dear. We should check on our 'friends' before we go swimming, don't you think?”

A loud voice cut through the conversation, startling Kitty. She looked up into the face of her mother's friend Helen Wirth, and her entire body went ice cold.

Helen trotted over, smiling and waving, her husband beside her. Helen was in one of her mother's book clubs and Helen's husband Frank had been acquainted with her father, too, until the divorce.

“Katherine! I can't believe it's you dear!” Helen cooed as she got closer.

Kitty tried to keep the panic off her face as she stood up to greet Helen and Frank1.

“It's so nice to see you both, Mr. and Mrs. Wirth.” Too late, she remembered the ring.

“And you too, honey. What are you doing here—oh my word, child what is this?” She grabbed Kitty's hand with the fake wedding ring and gawked at it. “Your mother didn't tell me anything about this!”

Kitty shot a terrified glance at Kurt. “It, um, we—”

“Eloped,” Kurt supplied as he stood up.

He moved closer to Kitty to slide his hand around her waist. She clutched his arm, squeezing tightly as she introduced him. “This is Kurt. Uh. Wagner.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you both,” he said, smiling one of his most charming smiles at Helen and shaking Frank's hand.

“Eloped, eh?” Frank said. “Smart. Weddings are too expensive. Kids spend all their money on them these days, with thousand dollar cakes and dresses that cost more than a car. Spend the money on the honeymoon, I say.”

“Right,” Kitty said. “Exactly.”

Helen smiled knowingly, assuming almost correctly that they were on their honeymoon.

“We didn't want Kitty's mother to shoulder the financial burden of a large wedding. When we visit, we'll have a small ceremony there.”

“You must be German,” Helen said. “My mother's mother was German. She was from Berlin.”

“I am from a small town in Bavaria. Winzeldorf.”

“How in the _world_ did you two meet?” Helen continued, ignoring the obvious awkwardness of the situation.

“Work,” Kitty said. Her mother was going to have a nervous breakdown if Helen called her and told her. Oh god, Helen would tell _everyone_. Everyone was going to think Kitty was married now. Her mother would understand but her family would be so confused. Her friends....She started to feel hot and a little unsteady.

She gripped Kurt's arm harder, but it didn't help. He moved subtly closer, tightening his grip on her waist.

“Oh, how nice,” Frank said. “You're a programmer too then?”

Kitty's mother told her friends she was a computer programmer. She couldn't remember if Kurt knew that. Her heart raced, but she shouldn't have worried. He was calm and taking it all in stride. Of course he was, it didn't affect him at all. She was the one who'd have to explain to her mother—soon—who would have to come up with some story for her friends, they'd have to explain to the family...oh god what was she going to do?

“ _Ja_ , we met when my company sent me here for training, and Kitty was at my table. I spent the whole training staring at her instead of working.” He turned to her, kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear very softly, “It will be all right.”

“Well, Katherine this is _wonderful_ news. Surprising, but wonderful. We wish you all the best.”

“Come visit when you're home,” Frank said.

She nodded and tried to smile.

“And please, bring your husband,” Helen said. “Are you all right dear?”

Kitty's face felt pale and she was both hot and cold. Kurt turned to her, almost in slow motion, and the playfulness in his false face became real concern. He put his hands on her arms and backed her into her seat.

“Drink some water, my love,” he said, never breaking his role. “Sip it. You look about to faint.”

“Oh my,” Helen said, hand at her chest. “She's not...” She lowered her voice and smirked a little. “Expecting?”

“That's why most of these kids elope, Helen,” Frank said.

Kitty almost dropped her glass as she leaned into Kurt's shoulder. “No,” she said, her voice muffled by his sweater. “I am not pregnant.”

“She wasn't feeling well on the plane earlier,” Kurt said, and the calm politeness in his voice sounded strained. “Might be a bit of altitude sickness. I should probably take her to our room to lie down.”

“Oh yes, good idea. What a good husband. She's made a good choice, Frank, hasn't she?”

Kitty didn't even try to say good-bye to them as they finally walked away. Kurt hovered in front of her, crouching and still holding the water. “Kitty, we should call your mother.”

She nodded. “In a minute.”

“No, _liebchen_ , now. She's got her phone out. Do you want me to?” She shook her head, and Kurt scooped her up and carried her from the dining room. As soon as they were out of view of anyone, he teleported them to the cabin and laid her on the bed. Kitty's phone was on the table, and she grabbed it.

“Mom? Oh thank god, I have to talk to you. What? She did? Oh god, Mom, listen, I am _not_ married. Okay? Just— _listen_. I'm undercover. We ran into Helen and Frank and I didn't have time—What? It's Kurt, but he's using the image inducer. What does he... He looks like...” she glanced at him, hovering at the end of the bed with a glass of water in his hand. “I don't know, like a better looking Brad Pitt, I guess. No, nobody famous this time.”

Kurt could hear the sound of Teresa's voice on the other end of the phone, but not what she was saying. He set the water down, pulled Kitty's shoes off, and laid down beside her. She was getting some color back. Whatever her mother was saying was working. They talked for a while, going over what she'd tell the family and her friends.

“Okay Mom. Thanks. Yeah, thanks. I love you, too. I'll tell him.”

She hung up and dropped the phone on the bed. Kurt set it on the table and put his arms around her.

“Everything okay now?”

“No, but it's better. I can't stop Helen from telling everyone we know. But Mom's going to call the family and tell them. Her friends...there's not much we can do about them without explaining what I really do. They all still think I'm a computer programmer.”

“I'm so sorry this happened.”

Kitty let out a deep breath. “Me, too. She's not very nice. Mom only knows her from the book club but she acts like everyone is her best friend.” Kitty let herself relax. “Oh, Mom said to tell you hi and she's glad I'm undercover with you and not, um, Piotr.”

His chest moved against her side when he chuckled.

“Thanks for your help,” she said.

“I've never seen you quite so panic-stricken.”

“I think I almost fainted. When she said about a baby—oh my god, I wanted to punch her.”

“She was not the most polite person I've ever met. But I think punching a seventy year old woman would have been going a little far.”

Kitty laughed. “But can you imagine?”

“Hm, I can,” he said. “Helen, flying over Frank's head and landing in a pile of salad.”

Kitty laughed again and sat up, feeling better now that her mother understood. The rest, she'd handle later. Maybe there would be a fake divorce next.

She pressed her hands against her eyes and let out a long sigh. “I should see what the Ponzi guys are up to.”

Kitty got up carefully, found herself perfectly steady on her feet, and headed to the couch. She pulled up the reservation desk data, confirming that the four PharmaSure goons had checked out. On a whim, she checked Helen and Frank's reservations, and was relieved to learn they had only one more day before they left. She just had to avoid seeing them again.

Next, she checked the dummy email, and found flight confirmation for the Ponzi group that made it even easier for Scott's group to track them down and deal with them. She forwarded the information to him and closed the computer. She looked up as Kurt was changing, a little gasp of appreciation slipping out. She'd always hidden her appreciation for his physique before, but now she didn't have to. Kurt heard the sound and stopped.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not at all,” she said, biting her lip. “But I wish everyone could see you like this.”

“Without the image inducer, or half naked?” He cocked a fuzzy brow at her.

“The way I see you.”

She had his full attention now. He approached the couch slowly, stopping at the end where she was watching him shamelessly. His body worked in perfect harmony, making his movements sleek and graceful even in the most casual of circumstances.

“And how is that, Kätzchen?” He took a breath as she reached out to touch toned abs and trace the grooves of his hips before they disappeared beneath his trunks. “How do you see me?”

She tipped her chin up and then shifted her feet under her to raise up on her knees. “You are a dear, sweet man. My Fuzzy Elf.” She hesitated while she chose her words. “A dashing gentleman pirate with an incredible body.”

“Then it's true. You _do_ love me only for my looks.”

“Have I ever lied to you, my dear Konrad?” A spike of guilt shot through her. Perhaps she didn't have to tell him, she could show him.

“No, Katherine. You haven't. I suppose it's a burden I'll have to learn to bear.”

Kitty kissed his stomach while her fingers worked the waistband of his trunks over his hips, mindful of his tail in back. He wound her hair through his fingers and exhaled her name. She kept one hand at his backside, tracing around and around the base of his tail, slipping along the length and returning to caress the sensitive underside, the way she'd learned he liked.

His stomach was clenched, the muscles taut and hard beneath her lips and fingers as she kissed lower.

“Now who's making noises?” she said and swirled her tongue around the smooth head.

“With good reason,” he managed to reply before she moved her mouth over him and it was all he could do to stay upright.

She focused on that delicate stretch of skin that made his body quiver like a tight wire. She nudged his thighs apart and cupped velvet in her hand, weighing him as she indulged in the taste and feel of him. His tail slapped the floor in need, and he gripped the back of the couch.

He clenched his hands in her hair as he came. When she moved away, Kurt turned and fell backwards over the arm of the couch with a satisfied sigh, feet and tail dangling over the arm. Kitty danced out of his reach when he would have returned the favor. She left him catching his breath while she changed.

“You can take care of me after we swim,” she said and tugged on a black bikini.

“We're still swimming?”

She nodded. “Mm-hm.”

“Then I will most definitely see to you afterwards.”

  
  


The underground pool was accessed from the basement of the lodge, down several flights of stairs. The walls of the pool room were stone, but there were parts that looked like the rock walls of a cave. They spent a few minutes admiring it before getting in to swim. The water was heated to a pleasant temperature, and there were only a few other couples swimming. At one end of the long pool was a plate glass window overlooking the mountains. Kitty swam leisurely down to peer out while Kurt did a few laps.

After swimming the length of the pool a few times to work out, Kurt spent a few minutes chatting with another guy who was recommending certain ski runs. She could hear Kurt's voice, but not the words, as he replied. Kitty was at the far end of the pool, floating and enjoying the scenery, while snatches of conversation echoed down the room to her.

She heard her name and the word _wife_ , and more talking. Laughter, more talking. She tuned them out. This was peaceful, she thought, floating serenely in an underground pool, with Kurt nearby. She glanced up at the sound of splashing, and saw the man and his partner getting out to leave. Kurt bid them good afternoon and swam down the pool to her.

She watched him, as graceful underwater as he was on land, and he came up beside her, water sheeting down his chest and dripping from his hair. She touched his cheek and closed her eyes, imagining what he really looked like. The image inducer did not enhance his appearance, she thought, removing the fuzz and the coloring and even some of his shape. He looked far more average, and perhaps that was what she disliked most of all. Kurt was anything but average.

“Enjoying the view?” he said.

She opened her eyes. “I've seen better.”

Her hand drifted down his chest, and she focused on the feel of his wet fuzz rather than the false skin of the inducer image. He moved closer, trapping her hand between them as he bent to kiss her. His hand slid over her bikini bottoms, fingers tracing the edge of the elastic before slipping under. With her back to the wall, no one could see what he was doing, other than kissing her, and there were only a few people present.

“I thought we came to swim,” she teased when he paused to kiss her cheek.

“I did swim. So did you.”

“Is that right? And now what are you doing?”

“Making sure you don't forget we have plans afterwards.” One thick finger slid along the elastic from back to front, and his tail snaked up to flick against the fabric of her suit, teasing.

“There are people here,” she said, and he stopped, his tail dropping away in the water behind him as he brought both arms to her waist.

“I wasn't trying to embarrass you.”

Kitty put her hands on his shoulders and stared into false blue eyes, searching as she always did for his golden ones beneath, never finding them. “You'll have to be patient,” she said. “And wait til we're alone.”

He kissed her forehead. “A tempting proposition, but I do not think I would agree to it.”

“What? Why—oh...I meant back in the cabin. Did you think I meant here?”

“I thought you meant wait for the other people to leave.”

She grinned as the other couples toweled off. “Like they are right now?”

Kurt turned to lean his back against the concrete wall of the pool, pulling Kitty between his legs. “Would you take such a risk?”

She shrugged. “We could play around.”

Kurt stared at her in something like admiration and surprise. “I have learned so many new things about you these past few days.”

She kissed him, tasting the pool water on his mouth at first, as his tongue slid along her lips. His hand slid under her bikini bottoms, the other toying with one of the thin straps. Kitty pulled him upright and wrapped her legs around his waist. He held her easily, both hands supporting her. His tail was free, and it was as dexterous as a hand, slipping invisibly between them. He rubbed enough to make her sigh with pleasure and press her hips closer. She kissed him harder, but the sound of a heavy door shutting put an end to things.

“I think I'm done swimming,” she said as he released her and she slid her legs down his thighs to stand beside him. “You?”

He nodded. “Give me a minute or two,” he said.

Kitty leaned against his chest, her face resting on the wet fur and listening to his heart beat. She had to remind her self again that this wasn't real. His gentleness was simply part of his usual ways, the tender kisses and his obvious enthusiasm was nothing more than excitement at having permission to have sex with her all week.

1Helen and Frank are not Jewish. They are old, rich, white people who are nosy and aren't really friends with Teresa or Carmen


	7. Time Flies When You're Washing Off Chlorine

They stumbled into the cabin, both shivering a little, and Kurt lit the fireplace as he tossed the pool robe aside. Housekeeping would return it after washing it. Kitty knelt in front of the fire with Kurt, marveling at how badly she still wanted him. Not just his body, she wanted all of him. She wanted him to love her. But he didn't, and if nothing else, she would have memories of a time he had pretended to be in love with her. When she first suggested playing the newlywed role more _fully_ , she had thought, truly, that having sex with Kurt would be awkward and weird, and would end up dissatisfying enough that they'd want to stop. But after the first night and the following morning, she knew that was not going to be the case.

He stood up, the fire crackling now, and extended his hand. “Care to join me for a shower?”

His smile had turned devilish, and now that she could see his real, true face, she was even more anxious for him to touch her again.

“Absolutely.”

Undressing in front of him slowly instead of in the heat of the moment was different. The bathroom was well-lit. There were no shadows or sheets or backs of the couch to camouflage her. She was completely exposed, and she felt...fine. Better than fine, she felt comfortable, and safe, and special.

Kurt held the shower door open for her, and she stepped inside, anticipating his hands around her waist as he joined her. He didn't disappoint her, arm curling around her waist as he moved her hair aside and kissed her neck. He took his time, kissing her shoulders and her ear and simply holding her close. Gradually, his hands moved up her stomach to cup her breasts and his tail wound around her hip. She'd come to appreciate that third appendage in the past few days, and she didn't think she'd ever look at it the same way again.

“I believe I promised to take care of you when we returned from our swim.”

“Mm-hmm,” she replied, as he pumped liquid soap into his hands from the dispenser and started washing her. While she rinsed under the rainfall shower, he soaped himself up, all that fur making a frothy lather that slowly dripped down his torso and legs. She watched him with interest, and when he joined her under the soothing fall of water, she kissed him. She wanted to go on kissing him, to declare her love for him between each one, to hear him say those words to her.

When they finally finished in the shower, after washing up a second time, Kitty was surprised to find it was past one o'clock.

“We should probably go eat,” she said.

“We do have food here, if you want to stay in.” The idea of lounging in front of the fire with her, talking and eating junk food seemed appealing after their exertions of the morning. He loved that part of their relationship, too, and he didn't want her to think that he only cared about sex. It was fun, certainly, but she was so much more to him than a body.

He started to say so, but she was already answering him.

“No, I think I need a real meal.” As tempted as Kitty was to stay in, the dining hall food was so delicious it was even harder to resist. And she was starving.

“Probably a wise choice, Kätzchen.”

She was right, and his stomach grumbled to confirm it. They headed to the lodge for their lunch buffet.

  
  


  
  


“Have you heard from Scott?” Kurt asked while they ate.

“No, not yet. I hope they found those guys.”

“My concern is what he will do once he does find them. He can't arrest them.”

“I know. I thought of that, too.” She put her head in her hand. “Even on vacation, I can't seem to stop working for long.”

“It's difficult when our jobs center around the lives of so many. I don't understand why people hate what is not like them.”

Kitty remembered being afraid of Kurt when she first met him, but she'd never hated him. “I don't either. I guess some people hate what they don't understand.”

“How is your sandwich?” Kurt said, changing the subject.

“It's good. You want a bite? There's no mustard.”

She held it out for him to taste, and he nodded his approval.

“I haven't had anything here that wasn't delicious,” she said.

Kurt met her eyes and grinned so wickedly her stomach flipped over. “Neither have I.”

His tail twisted around her ankle, and Kitty took a long sip of her hot chocolate. “If I didn't know better, I'd think this whole game was your idea, not mine.”

Kurt felt his smile waver at the reminder. He ate some more of his lunch, the taste bland now. He couldn't go on like this, lying to her and pretending this meant nothing to him. It wasn't nothing. It was everything, and it was tearing him apart. He'd have to risk it. She would understand, he was sure, if he explained very carefully that there was no expectation on his part, but that he simply couldn't continue to share so much of her and be locked out of her heart.

“Kitty, I need to—”

“Oh shit,” she interrupted. “They're back.”

  
  


Lewis and Gina had brought reinforcements. There were at least twenty people with them, all looking angry and full of hate. Kitty was glad she wasn't wearing a dress this time.

“I don't have my swords, Kätzchen,” Kurt said.

“We'll have to make do. Don't get too close.”

“Wait for them to attack first. The hotel may be more understanding of our defense.”

Kitty wiped her mouth with her napkin and touched Kurt's foot under the table to phase him. Gina and Lewis pulled chairs up on either side of the table, leaning on their elbows and breathing all over the food.

“So. You two muties thought you could fool us. Shows how stupid you are.”

“At least we aren't cowards who show up with a mob to intimidate two people.”

“You aren't _people_ , bitch.”

Kurt tensed and Kitty saw his hand clench slowly.

“We have done nothing to you,” he said.

“Like hell you haven't. You ruined our gig. Shut us down, got us in trouble with the _law_.”

“That wasn't us, that was you,” Kitty said, her cheeks heating, “running an _illegal_ investment scam. Don't shift blame.”

“We'd'a gotten away with it, but now,” Lewis reached into a pocket. “You're gonna pay us back.” He brandished one of the syringes.

“That is not a good idea,” Kurt said calmly, his voice belying the tension in every muscle. Kitty could feel how taut his legs were, ready to spring up fighting in a second.

“No? Why d'you think we brought backup this time? You can't fight off twenty of us.”

Lewis and Gina lunged with the cure syringes they'd been holding, their hands moving through empty space where Kurt and Kitty should have been. Gina actually stabbed Lewis in the arm, making him howl. They whipped their heads around in fury, while Kurt laughed from the rafters above them. Kitty floated beside him on the air.

“You little shits,” Gina spat. She turned to one of the people with her. “Shoot them!”

There was no way to know what kind of ammunition they were using, but it didn't matter if they couldn't hit them. Kurt teleported around the space, snatching guns and cracking people on the skulls while Kitty dropped down and picked them off one at a time, phasing when they took shots at her and then solidifying long enough to hit them back.

The entire fight was over in less than a minute. They looked around at the unconscious goons, and Kurt laid a hand over her shoulder. “This was worse than the time we raided that Black Air center. Remember how their guards just fell over?”

“You were _so_ mad you didn't get to fight.”

He gave her a squeeze. “I was angry, _ja_. It was a bad time, but...” he kissed the side of her head. “You helped me through it. You—”

“Did I? I always thought...Never mind.”

“Yes, in fact I wanted to tell you—”

“Here comes hotel security,” Kitty said, and Kurt sighed in frustration.

It took over half an hour to explain what had happened, and eventually the truth had come out that they were mutants. Kitty braced to be told they'd have to leave, especially when the hotel had hosted an anti-mutant conference. The owner and manager, Angela Diaz, paced while security handcuffed each of the goons.

“I'll need to speak to you two privately in my office,” she said at last.

Kitty and Kurt followed her up to the main hotel building, resigned to losing the last half of their vacation. Once in her office, Angela shut the door and sat down heavily.

“When we booked that PharmaSure conference, I had no idea what they were selling. They never said it was anti-mutant serum of any kind. I wouldn't have let them if I'd known.”

Kitty shared a sideways glance with Kurt.

“I'm afraid I don't understand,” Kurt said.

Angela sighed. “I'm a mutant,” she said. “Not a very powerful one, not like some of those super teams. But I am one, and my daughter is, too.”

“We had no idea,” Kitty said quietly.

Someone knocked on the office door, and at Angela's call, the photographer stuck his head in. “Excuse me, Ms. Diaz, Jim asked me to let you know the police are here.”

“Thanks, Bert, I'll be right there.” She turned to Kurt and Kitty. “Give me a few minutes, please.”

Bert, the photographer, came into the room and leaned against the wall. “I heard you're both mutants,” he said.

Kitty felt anxiety welling up in her chest, but the man continued.

“So'm I. You know, it's hard to get a job when you look like me.”

“I beg your pardon?” Kurt said, leaning forward.

Bert rolled up his sleeve, revealing small, iridescent scales up and down his arms. “I hide most of 'em with makeup. Halloween type, that latex stuff.”

Kurt held out his wrist. “This isn't a watch,” he said. “It's a device that generates a hologram around me.”

“Damn, that's easier than this latex shit.”

“In some ways, it is,” he said, conscious of Kitty's eyes on him, not Bert. “If you don't mind...?”

“Nah, go ahead.”

Kurt turned it off and Bert whistled. “Well, I guess I should be grateful I can cover up kinda easily.” Bert glanced at Kitty, her eyes still on Kurt. “Wait a second...you look...are you Nightcrawler?”

“ _Ja_ , I am. But I would appreciate if you keep that between us, _mein Freund_.”

“Yeah, sure, no problem. Wow. Could-could I get your autograph later?”

“Certainly.” He leaned in. “But you might want hers, too. I dare say it will be worth far more than mine some day.”

Bert cocked his head at her, and Kitty could almost see the gears turning, and the moment realization hit him. “Holy—wait, really? An' you two are together? Well, I never woulda guessed.” He chuckled. “Hey, if you want, I'll do a private photo session if you want. Down in your cabin. I'll give you the pics free.”

Kitty finally looked up at Bert. “Thank you,” she said. “I'd actually really like that, if you're okay with it, Kurt.”

He turned the inducer back on, and Bert made another appreciative noise. “Kätzchen, of course. Thank you, Bert.”

Angela returned looking pleased. “I'm so sorry about that,” she said. “I hope there will be no more trouble while you're here.”

“I'm sure it will be all right, Ms. Diaz,” Kurt said.

“I appreciate your understanding,” she said.

“If there's anything else we can do...” Kitty said.

“No, no, please go enjoy the rest of your honeymoon.” She smiled at them and Kitty felt more guilty than ever at the lie.


	8. Sometimes You Just Want to Punch Inevitable Consequences in the Face

“I can't believe we've been lying to this woman,” Kitty said from the corner of the couch in the cabin.

Kurt hadn't settled yet, still moving around the space, stopping sometimes to pick up some article of clothing that had been tossed aside, or to hang up a fallen towel.

“ _Ja_ , it doesn't feel good. However, I think it would be worse at this point to reveal the deception. If we follow through with what we signed, so they don't lose the publicity, I think it's fair enough.”

He went into the little kitchenette space and picked through the options in the refrigerator, deciding on some bread and cheese.

“Would you like something?”

“No thanks,” Kitty replied. “Maybe later.”

Kurt sat down beside her, and she tipped her head against his shoulder the way she did when they were just friends. He put his arm around her and rubbed her arm. The sweet affection and trust made his heart ache, but it also gave him hope. It felt so like their friendship had always been, and perhaps that meant they'd return to New York and manage to fit their lives back together again after all.

“It was nice of Bert to offer the pictures,” Kitty said.

“ _Ja_. I hope he isn't too disappointed when he finds out we aren't married.”

“We could tell him before we leave if it bothers you.”

“Maybe. But then it would probably also get back to Ms. Diaz...”

“It probably will anyway. Let's just hope she doesn't come after us with lawyers or something.”

“We'll have to explain why we were here, taking down the Ponzi scheme. Perhaps she'll be grateful enough to let it slide.”

“I wish those creeps would leave people alone. Why go looking for a fight? And I don't mean just these Ponzi guys.”

“I know, Kätzchen,” he said. “I don't understand the hate, either. I don't think we ever will. All we can do is fight it and put as much love back into the world as we can.”

Kurt finished his snack and they sat together in silence so long he thought Kitty might have dozed off. But when he inclined his head, her eyes met his. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn it was love in her eyes and on her face when she looked at him like that. It was close enough that it made his heart beat faster. He felt himself drawn to her, her eyes drifting shut as she lifted her chin to meet him.

He traced her lips with his tongue as her hand curled around his neck. She arched into him, seeming content to sit in the circle of his arms and kiss him. He touched her cheek and hair and let his heart feel full of her for the moment. _Here is all of me_ , he thought at her. If only she wanted it.

He remembered something she'd said early in their visit. “Would you like a massage?” he offered.

She kissed his cheek and laid herself along his chest. “Yeah. In a minute.”

He held her a little longer, in no hurry to move. He considered again that he could simply tell her the truth, and she probably would not mind. Maybe she would even be understanding. After all, she was still friends with Piotr. Kitty sat up, that inexplicable look on her face, so like love it was fooling him again.

“Bed?” she asked simply.

He nodded and followed her, watching her pull off her shirt as she walked. Kurt had intended to keep his clothes on, but seeing her lying there naked, her big brown eyes looking at him that way made him change his mind. Not that he needed much convincing.

“May I?” he asked, indicating his clothes.

“Of course.”

  
  


He started with her shoulders, working his way down her back and arms. They were quiet, not talking except now and then to insure she was comfortable, or to ask him to press harder or softer.

“Other side?” he asked, and she hummed a response and rolled.

Now he could see her face, the hazy, relaxed glaze in her eyes. He worked on her shoulders and arms and laid his palm flat down the center of her, trying not to tickle as he moved over her belly. Kitty sighed as he focused on her thighs, down to her feet.

“Kurt,” she murmured.

He stopped and stretched out beside her, his hand resting between her breasts. “Hm?”

There was so much she wanted to say to him, but each thing felt impossible. Words felt inadequate and flat when she tried to shape them in her head to tell him how she felt. “Thanks.”

She caught his hand and linked her fingers between his, turning slightly into him. He let go to put his hand on her back and pull her closer. Her lips moved against his neck and his hand drifted down her spine and over her backside. She arched her back into him as he gently eased her onto the mattress.

“I believe the promise was mine,” he whispered. “To take care of you.”

“You already did,” she said. “You always do.”

“ _Gut_ ,” he replied, and kissed the hollow of her neck. “Then allow me once more.”

Kitty exhaled like she'd ceased to exist. Kurt's hands were everywhere, his mouth tracing hot paths all over her chest, and his tail slithering up and down her legs. When she reached for him, he would take her hand, kiss her fingers, and lay it back down.

“This is for you,” he said the third time, and she gave in.

His mouth closed over her breast, and his tongue sent tremors down her spine. She was begging breathlessly before he even reached her center, but he didn't change the slow, relentless caress of every inch of her skin. He braced his arms over her thighs as she squirmed and bucked against his mouth, and when she cried out, he moaned along with her. He ached for her, but a promise was a promise, and he moved to lie beside her.

“Wait,” she gasped. “Please don't be done.”

“Tell me what you want, _Liebes_. It is yours.”

“You, inside me, please.”

He wasn't fast enough, and she grabbed his wrist. “Kurt, _please_.”

Kurt pulled her legs around his waist. “Can you sit up?”

“I don't know,” she said, but he leaned forward and lifted her into his arms, and he hooked his legs around her. She groaned in his ear.

“Patience,” he whispered as he carefully slid inside.

Kitty held him while they began to rock, their arms and legs wrapped around each other. He bent to kiss her lips in a tender caress, while her fingers toyed with the curls at the back of his neck. They set a slow, languorous pace at first, rocking back and forth, the motion burying him deeply. His tail snaked between them so that each rolling motion pressed her into it. The slow buildup of tension sent her reeling when she came, and Kurt embraced her, strong and safe, following her into bliss soon after. Kitty laid her forehead on his shoulder, and he realized she was crying softly.

“Kätzchen? Are you all right?” He looked at her with something more than concern or simple affection in his eyes.

“Yes,” she answered, patting him reassuringly. “I'm fine, it's just...wow...that was...”

She couldn't— _wouldn't_ tell him the truth, that he made her feel loved, but it hurt so much. If this was Kurt playing around, what would it be like if he wasn't playing a role? How could he possibly be more loving than he was now? The brief thought that he might not be playing at all entered her mind, but she quickly swept it away. Thinking like that was dangerous for her heart.

Kurt pulled her down onto the bed beside him and wished he could cry with her. They lay together a long time, even after she was calm. She didn't seem to want to move, and he was in no hurry, either. Holding her like this, he could almost make himself believe it was real, that she loved him the way he dreamed she might.

After dinner, they soaked in the hot tub and then watched another one of Kitty's movies on her laptop, curled up in the bed together with a bowl of popcorn from the kitchenette. Meaningless sex felt much less meaningless lately, Kitty thought. It felt an awful lot like being in love.

  
  


“What do you want to do today, Kätzchen?”

They'd gone to the lodge for breakfast the next morning, where it was less formal and the atmosphere was more rustic. There was a breakfast buffet and plenty of seating, but no wait staff or people already dressed up.

“I was thinking about the pool. The indoor one with all the levels. Either that or the cave system tour.”

“Either one sounds good to me.”

“Tomorrow there's a sleigh ride running all day,” she said, sliding the pamphlet across to him. “Can you believe our vacation is almost over?”

Kurt looked up, his image-induced eyebrows slightly raised. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“I think it'll be good to get back, though. I like my job.”

“As do I. But the vacation was well-deserved.”

“I'll toast to that,” she said, and picked up her orange juice. Kurt clinked his coffee cup against it and smiled.

He'd avoided thinking about going back to New York as much as possible, because it meant dealing head-on with whatever they were doing here. He didn't want to hear her tell him it was all part of the vacation, a game meant only to relieve stress and have a good time. He was certainly in favor of those things, and had succumbed to that kind of temptation before, but he'd never imagined it would be with Kitty. He loved her, and he'd always imagined that she would be the one person he wouldn't have to play games with. It chafed him, made him restless and uncharacteristically out of sorts.

He swallowed the last of his coffee, hoping to improve his mood. Why ruin the vacation feeling lousy the last couple of days? “Let's see the caves.”

“Okay,” she agreed readily and an hour later they were on the shuttle with a group of about twenty-five people. There were a few families, but mostly couples. They talked and laughed, holding hands. They would go home together and continue their lives. Together. And she and Kurt would go home and...what? Kitty reached over and took his hand as he stared out the window. Could he take the risk of admitting the truth to her, and hope she'd understand? He looked at her, smiled, squeezed her hand, and returned to the view.

Kitty wondered what he was thinking about, gazing out the window this way. He'd been out of sorts all morning, quiet and thoughtful in a way he hadn't been since the first morning they'd woken up after having sex. She almost wished she'd never given in to wanting Kurt. She was an idiot to think she could have him for a little while and not have to break her heart apart to let him go.

  
  


The cave system was small, but beautifully lit, with a rainbow of lights that glittered and danced on the rock formations. A pool of water in the center of one of the rooms, glowed almost blue and reflected onto the ceiling. They followed the guide and listened to the memorized speeches about the rocks and minerals and sources of water. She held Kurt's hand and considered throwing herself into his arms and telling him she was in love with him, just to see what he'd do. The cave system was beautiful, and the guide was interesting. One of the chambers had a huge ceiling, and every word echoed back and forth around the room. Kurt suddenly grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist. He whispered in her ear, lips nibbling the edge.

“What it must be like to have sex in a room like this and hear your own cries—”

She whirled around and gave him an incredulous look. She started to reply with something equally suggestive when she noticed he looked horrified. He let go of her and stepped back.

“Kurt?”

“Sorry,” he whispered, “I thought....are we not doing this anymore?”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her. “Silly, I would tell you if we weren't playing.” And yet, it was a lie. She _wasn't_ playing, she never had been. She lowered her eyes, suddenly unable to meet his, even the false ones.

“Of course,” he replied. “I'm sorry, I misjudged your reaction.”

She couldn't be angry about it. It was all a farce, stupid and her own fault, and she couldn't blame him for being uncertain. “No, it's okay, Kurt.” The group had moved on, but they remained, whispering in the huge room. “I'm sorry.” She stepped forward to hug him, and his arms were as strong as ever, but she felt like she'd broken something. How fragile their little game had been after all.

“Perhaps we should talk about it later?”

“Yeah,” she said, as her shoulders drooped. “We probably should.”

Thankfully the cave tour was almost finished. Back outside, the crisp air and sunlight felt refreshing. It was her own fault, she reminded herself. Her own foolish, short-sighted fault. Of course he would agree to anything she suggested. It was Kurt. Hadn't he teased her numerous times over the years that he could never tell her no? Last night's lovemaking suddenly felt more like an ending than something intimate.

She spent the shuttle ride staring out the window and wondering what to do.

  
  


When they got back to the cabin, Kurt started undressing, but not like he was about to make a move.

“What are you doing? I thought we were going to talk?”

“We are. I'm getting in this tub,” he said, waving his hand over the jetted tub they'd been ignoring. His words were clipped. “I'm tired and cold and rather confused, and this looks relaxing. Join me if you want.”

She eyed him. “Okay.”

She stripped down and got in, sitting across from him. “I'm sorry you thought I was mad in the cave,” she said.

“I didn't think you were mad, I thought you were offended by my inappropriate remark.”

“It wasn't inappropriate. This whole idea of mine was, though.”

“I agreed to it.”

“But it...”

“ _I agreed_ to it. I'm as responsible as you are. We both rushed in without thinking it through.” He stretched out, but didn't reach for her.

“Maybe. Yeah.”

“Then let's talk now. It's not too late.”

His voice had lost its edge, at least, and now she just wanted to fix everything. The thought of losing him after all of this made her heart twist.

She nodded. “I don't know anymore, what to do. I was...honestly, I don't know, I just wanted to be with you and we were playing this newlywed game...” She wiped at stray lock of hair. “I didn't mean to hurt you.”

“Nor did I mean to hurt you.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “And I don't want to lose you.”

“You haven't lost me. You can't.”

“ _Verdammt_ , I am stuck with you then?” he teased, and Kitty's heart felt a thousand pounds lighter.

“Unfortunately,” she shrugged and slid across to tub to sit beside him. She turned to face him, and took a deep breath. “Whatever we decide to do going forward, you're still my best friend.”

“And you are mine.”

“I think...I think maybe we better stop.”

He nodded. “Could I make one request?”

“Of course,” she said and smiled.

“I'd like to kiss you one last time.”

Kitty put her leg over his and climbed onto his lap. She took his face in her hands and leaned forward. Kurt held her, linked his hands at the small of her back and met her kiss. She would not cry, memorizing the feel of his lips on hers and the taste of his tongue. She thought she might like to spend the rest of the day like that, warm and wet and surrounded by Kurt's arms, and maybe he was as content as she was to kiss and kiss and kiss.

When the kissing finally devolved into Kitty breathing against his neck, Kurt suggested they get out and decide where to eat for dinner.

“Yeah, we should eat,” she said, and stood up.

His hands followed, lingering on her legs as his gaze drifted up her body. “ _Du bist so sch_ _ö_ _n_.1”

She leaned down and kissed his curls. “So are you.” As she dried off, she realized that Bert had offered them a private photo shoot, and now they'd have to find a way to turn him down, or go home with photos that made them both sad.

“What will we tell Bert?” she said.

“I would still appreciate a photo of the two of us. Nothing has changed in my feelings towards you, Kätzchen. The past few days are merely something we did and no longer do. I care about you the same as I always did.” In spite of his words, strong for her, his heart felt weak.

With a heaving sigh, she hugged him, started to kiss his cheek, and caught herself. “I still love you just the same, too, Kurt.” This was going to hurt like hell.

  
  


“What do you want to do for dinner?” Kurt asked.

“I don't want to dress up tonight,” she said.

“Neither do I. Lodge?”

“Sure.”

They had three nights left, and they were going to be like this. Barely speaking, avoiding each other's eyes, plastering on artificial smiles for Bert. If not for the ruse, Kurt would have gone home. After a dinner of stilted conversation, Kitty put on her pajamas and got into the bed.

“Are you sick?” he asked. “It's barely eight.” He sat on the edge, his hands aching to touch her.

 _Yes_ , she thought, _sick in my heart_. “I'm fine. Tired,” she said.

He slept on the couch.

  
  


1You are so beautiful.


	9. Bob Barker Was a Real Game Show Host

They'd planned to go for a sleigh ride, but neither of them felt like it. Kurt's back was stiff from sleeping on the overly-plush couch, and Kitty felt bad that he'd done that.

“You don't have to sleep on the couch, Kurt. I'll give you plenty of space.”

He shook his head. “No thank you. I'll be fine. It's only two more nights.”

Breakfast was almost as miserable as dinner the night before. Kitty wanted to cheer up, but Kurt's slow, weary smiles and her own guilt and pain weighed her down. He started back to the cabin but Kitty paused at the door with a thought.

“I'm going up to the lobby to see if there's anything on the schedule today. Something...entertaining. I need a distraction.”

“I'll go with you.”

“If you want to.”

She gave him a smile he didn't fully return.

“All right. I'll see you at the cabin.”

The lobby was busy, as it usually was in the morning, and she read the posted list of the day's activities. She purposely skimmed over the sleigh ride sign-up and the pool hours. Games in the lodge immediately after lunch. That might be something. She read on. Audience participation, entertainment, laughs. _That's exactly what we need_ , she thought.

  
  


Kurt had lit the fire and was lying in front of it on the floor, unread book on his chest, his eyes on the ceiling. She flopped down beside him on the floor.

“Hey,” she said without touching him. “They have a game or something in the lodge after lunch. I think we should go.”

“All right.”

“It's supposed to be funny. Maybe it won't be but...”

“I said I'll go.”

She sighed. “Did you hurt your back?”

“No.” He couldn't hold her gaze. Yesterday, she'd have offered a back massage. Today, she couldn't.

“They have that massage room,” she said softly.

“No thank you. I'll be fine.”

“I know I messed things up between us. And I am _so_ sorry. You're the last person I would ever want to drive away. I love you, Kurt. And I hope you can forgive me.”

He seemed to relax, somehow his whole body had been tensed up in a way she hadn't seen, and now it was loose and fluid again. He patted her hand, and she held on. “Of course I forgive you, Kätzchen. I love you, too. Can you forgive me for my part in it?”

“I don't think there's anything to forgive you for, Kurt.” She lay down and hugged him, keeping her hips well away from his. Her heart twisted and tightened and lifted, all at once. She hadn't lost him, not completely at least, and things might be weird for a while longer, but she was forgiven. “But if it makes you feel better, yes. I forgive you.”

  
  


The hotel photographer was in the lodge for the entertainment. When he saw them, he waved them in excitedly, and reminded them he was still willing to do that photo shoot if they wanted. Kurt gave Kitty a slightly resigned look when they passed Bert as they went in, choosing a table halfway back. There were bowls of candy and fruit on all the tables, and more snacks were available to order. Kitty still thought he didn't want to be there, but he'd gone along with it for her sake, like he always did. Maybe tomorrow she'd suggest they go tubing again. He had enjoyed that.

The host was a hotel employee, a man who swore his name was really, _honestly_ Bob Barker, though he looked nothing like the famous game show host1. He even took out his driver's license and waved it around where no one could really see it, but he got a few laughs. Onstage there were six chairs, set up in pairs, and a table with a stack of papers and markers on it. He trotted out in front of them, waving to the people gathering. It wasn't a huge crowd, but he behaved as if the place was packed. Kurt turned around once to look behind them and was surprised at how many people were actually there after all.

“Looks like a decent crowd,” he said in a low voice. Pretending to be her husband meant he was expected to be demonstrative in his affection. He kept his hand on hers, but that was all.

Bob gave a whooping cheer and called out to the crowd. “Welcome to the Diamante Hotel's most popular game, Wedded Bliss! This is a game for couples that's sure to bring a round of laughs for everyone! Now we're going to need some contestants! Who's up for a funny and sometimes surprising game of questions?!”

Kurt's hand in hers didn't move, but she swore his face went stony. A murmur went through the crowd, and after a little more pressing, a couple in one corner raised their hands and volunteered. The crowd cheered and applauded.

“Excellent!” Bob said. He sounded exactly like a game show host, overly enthusiastic, his voice almost grating. “Two more! Who else is willing to see how well they really know their significant other?! Come on now, don't be shy! It's all in good fun!”

Another couple volunteered, slightly older, and they walked up to the stage to more applause.

Bob looked around, his teeth so white in his face they were nearly glowing. Kitty leaned over to Kurt, her forehead almost touching his. “What's _with_ this guy?”

He zeroed in on them and Kitty froze. “I don't believe it, folks! I think I've just spotted the Diamante Hotel's honeymoon prize package winners! Konrad and Katherine Wagner! Come on down! You're the next contestants on Wedded Bliss!” Bob was so excited, he looked like he was ready to start bouncing up and down on stage.

“Oh shit,” Kitty said under her false, wide smile as they reluctantly stood and went up front.

Kurt squeezed her hand. “It'll be fun, I'm sure.” When he looked at her, he actually looked like he was happy again. Maybe things would be all right after all. Maybe they _had_ needed a distraction.

Finally the clapping died down as they took their seats in the last two chairs. Kurt laid his arm across the back of Kitty's chair, and his thumb brushed through a few loose strands of her hair. Bob began to explain the rules of the game.

“Each round consists of four questions, which will be answered by one half of each couple! The trick is, they'll be trying to answer the way they believe their _partner_ would answer! Each question is worth more than the last! The final round will be for bonus points! Let's meet our contestants!”

The first couple was Shelly and Sue Courtland, married five years, together for twelve. The older couple, Harry and Trish, had been together almost thirty years.

“Our final couple won a week long stay in our newly renovated honeymoon suite! Welcome Konrad and Katherine!”

They stood up, and Kurt shook Bob's hand. “Call me Kurt, please.” He looked back at her when he said, “This is my beautiful wife, Kitty. Thank you for having us.”

Kitty thought she was either going to die of embarrassment or laughter, but she wasn't sure which. Kurt seemed perfectly at ease, but it had to be an act. When he glanced over his shoulder at her, she had the same strange feeling as the day before, that there was real love in his actions. Her heart longed to soak it up and return it.

“Wonderful!” Bob enthused, “And how long have you been married?!”

“Just over a month,” Kurt said. The crowd made appropriate ooh and aah sounds. Kurt leaned over and kissed her cheek with tenderness that set her pulse pounding, and the crowd continued their sounds of approval.

“All right, folks, let get started! For the first round, let's have one member of each couple wait off stage while your lovely partner remains onstage! When you answer, remember, you're giving the answer you think your _partner_ would give! Not your own answer! If you both give the same answer, you'll earn those points!”

Kitty, Shelly, and Trish went off stage to answer the questions in another room. Kitty could hear Bob calling out the questions for the audience, while she and the other two women answered the printed questions on the papers the assistant gave them.

At last they were allowed back onstage. Kitty eyed Kurt, who gave her a reassuring smile and patted her hand. He still looked happy and even content. She wished she could ask him what he was thinking about, but Bob was talking again.

“All righty then!” Bob said. “We'll start with the couple who's been together longest! Harry and Trish! The first question was....” Bob drew out the suspense, looking back and forth from Harry to Trish and then out to the audience.

Kitty was pretty sure Kurt could get this one right. At least she hoped he would.

“What is your nickname for your spouse?! Trish said 'honey' and Harry said.....'Honey!' Five points to Harry and Trish! Our newlyweds next! Kitty said...I can't pronounce that.”

“Kätzchen,” Kurt said.

“Does that mean you gave the same answer, Kurt?!”

He held up his sign. The audience applauded.

All three couples earned five points. After that, the questions got a little trickier. They earned points for “Who takes longer in the shower” and “Who was your spouse's first boyfriend or girlfriend” but missed on “What is the one material thing you own that means the most to you?”

Kurt said it was his Errol Flynn posters, because his brother had been the first to give him one. Kitty hadn't known that, and assumed it was his swords. He only shrugged and laughed and kissed her cheek again. For the next round, the roles reversed, and Kurt, Harry, and Sue had to go out.

“These questions will be even harder and worth more points! Right now, Harry and Trish are in the lead, but not by much!”

“All right, contestants, your first question is “What was your spouse wearing on your first date?!” You have thirty seconds to answer!”

Answering as Kurt, Kitty wrote down 'dress' and hoped he would say the same thing. She panicked a little and hoped he wouldn't put superhero costume as a joke.

“Your second question is...What was your worst date?! Thirty seconds!”

What could she say for that? She put “train ride” because she was out of time.

“Third question, “What was your spouse's first impression of you?!”

Shit. Kitty wrote, “Scared.” She was pretty sure they could get that one right. She had to answer as if Kurt was being asked about her reaction to him, and it was so confusing trying to keep it straight. But there was no way he'd forgotten how she'd panicked at the sight of him and dived through the roof of the building, and they could probably get this one right.

“And finally, the last question for this round is “What is your favorite part of your partner's body?!” Remember, you're answering the way you think _they_ would respond!”

Kitty had no idea. He'd spent plenty of time lavishing attention on every part of her, and there were some she was _not_ going to write down. She sighed and wrote, “The whole thing.”

This time when Kurt came out, he looked a little more serious. His first answer was “a blue dress” and they got points for that. His second answer was “we haven't had a worst date yet” and they didn't get any points, but the audience loved it. His third answer was “Surprised” and Bob generously gave them credit, though Kitty didn't think 'scared' and 'surprised' were necessarily the same thing. For the fourth question, Kurt put “her heart” and the audience made appreciative, cute sounds that turned Kitty's face red.

“Really?” she said, blinking at him. The heart he loved pounded. There was one thing she hadn't considered, because it was so nearly impossible, but it might explain his mood, now and earlier. If it was true, and that was a big _if_ , then they needed to talk again soon. Immediately.

Kurt hammed it up for the audience, taking her hand and kissing it like a gentleman. She caught his eyes and held them until he had to sit back down.

Bob strode across the stage. “Okay folks, we've made it to the final round! Sue and Shelly are in the lead now, with Harry and Trish close behind! Kurt and Kitty can still take the lead if they get all five final questions right and the other teams _don't_!” He laughed, the contestants laughed, and the audience laughed. “We'll ask our contestants to sit back to back so there's no cheating!”

Bob handed out notepads and explained the rules of the final round as the six contestants moved their chairs. “You'll be given five questions! Each one is worth twenty-five points! You'll both answer at the same time and hold up your responses to the audience when you're done!” He grinned out at them. “Are you ready?!”

Everyone nodded and got their markers ready to write.

“First question! Which of the two of you tends to kiss more?! You have fifteen seconds to answer!”

They got points when they both wrote Kurt's name.

“Second question!” Bob was strutting around excitedly and Kitty was sure her face would never lose its red tint. “Who likes to cuddle more?!”

Kurt immediately wrote his answer, and Kitty hesitated. Finally she put her own name and they got points for that one, too.

“Who is more likely to want to get intimate?!”

Kitty couldn't possibly be any redder, and she wished she could see Kurt's face. She put his name down and they got no points for that one when he put her name.

“Two more questions to go! Fourth question is a two-parter!...Tell us the most thoughtful gesture your spouse did for you _and_ the most thoughtful gesture you ever did for them!”

Kitty wrote that she stayed with him when he was sick, though she was referring to his coma. For Kurt's most thoughtful gesture, she wrote about him flying to see her when her friend died. That visit in Chicago when she thought she'd seen Piotr alive was one of her favorite memories, in spite of how sad she'd been. Sometimes she still couldn't believe Kurt had done that for her, especially after she'd cursed at him on the phone the night before.

“Let's see what you've got, Kurt!” Bob said, comparing Kitty's answers to his. “Unfortunately, your answers don't match, but they are certainly thoughtful gestures!” Kitty craned her neck to see Kurt's answers, and finally he told her.

“I said you accepted my _heritage_ and that I always make sure you have a coat.” He gave her a wry smile. “I couldn't think of anything.”

Bob continued and Kitty didn't have a chance to start listing things he'd done for her over the years. Maybe later, after they talked, she could tell him. She was so confident now that she was right, she wanted this game to hurry up and end.

“The last question...Because no one can beat Sue and Shelly now, your final question is worth zero points! Ha ha ha! We still want to know, though! We all,” he said, waving his hand at the audience as if including them in the question, “want to know when you realized your spouse was _the one_!”

Kitty's face was hot and she put her head in her hand. She wiped at her brow, and behind her, Kurt gestured to Bob, then got up and came back with a glass of water. Kitty looked up into a face that was not his, but still so full of love she wondered how she'd ever missed it. She swallowed around a sudden lump in her throat.

“All right, let's see your answers!” They all turned their chairs around again as Bob went down the line. All the answers received cheers and applause and the couples kissed. By the time he got to them, Kitty's hands were shaking. Kurt had written, “There was not one moment, but a million. Every day, I realize again how much I am in love with her.” He was good at hiding his nerves, but she could feel the slight tremor in his hand when she reached over to touch him.

Kitty handed her sign to Bob, who held it up for the audience's approval. “We were separated on a cruise with friends once. He spent all day trying to find me. We weren't dating yet.” While they cheered, she put her hands on Kurt's cheeks and kissed him.

“I love you _so_ _much_ , Kurt,” she said, and kissed him again.

He murmured against her lips, “I love you, Kätzchen.” Bob announced the prize for Sue and Shelly and second prize for Harry and Trish and thanked them all for playing. The audience started to leave, and the contestants stopped to thank Bob for a fun time.

Kitty didn't see the hotel photographer and if she had, she wouldn't have cared. She would have crawled into Kurt's lap if she could have, but for now she just held his hand and stroked the invisible fuzz of his jaw.

“We should go,” Kurt said, and he stood up, her hand tightly gripped in his own.

Bert stopped them on the way out, asking again about the photo session.

“How about tomorrow after breakfast?” Kurt said so they could leave.

“I'll come by about ten thirty, then,” Bert said, smiling. “I got some good ones of you during the game, too.”

“Thanks Bert,” Kitty said, and he finally left.

They made it to the cabin, and the door hadn't closed yet before Kitty had her hands on his face, drawing him down to kiss him again. Kurt held her tightly, his hands all over her, kissing her back with the same passion she felt. Every emotion and desire she'd repressed for years spilled out, and sent her hands raking through his hair and down his back. They stumbled through the space, hit the couch and tumbled onto it.

Kitty paused to look down into his face. “I didn't know, Kurt, I thought...”

“Since Excalibur ended, really?” he replied, then pulled her back down to kiss her more, one hand sliding under the hem of her shirt and up her back.

“Mm,” she agreed, working at his shirt, too.

“Then, this week...?” He gasped when she ground her hips against him.

“Yeah,” she said. “I should have known. Every time I called it a game, you got all—” She whimpered when he sucked her breast into his mouth.

He stopped teasing to cradle her face in his hands. “The problem wasn't pretending to be in love with you. It was pretending _not_ to be.”

“Oh, Kurt.”

Their lips met again, lingering and fiery, like it was the first time. Kitty explored the sensation of his fuzz brushing her face as they kissed and the sharp points of his fangs as her tongue passed over them.

Less than a day without touching him felt like a year, and she jerked his pants aside, not bothering to be anything but intangibly efficient. Fitting him inside her felt like the relief of putting herself back together. It felt better than being solid after discorporating, better than finally falling out of that bullet.

After the first rushed, frantic coupling, they slowed their pace, and when they almost rolled onto the stone floor, Kurt carried her to the bed.

  
  


“What did you consider our first date?” she asked later, her body twined around his, sticky and sweaty and happier than she'd ever been.

“Dinner here, the first night.”

“Oh, that was good. I didn't think of anything specific for that one.”

“I can't believe I hadn't told you about the posters.”

She leaned up on one elbow. “Kurt, I didn't tell you I was _in love_ with you.”

“I can't believe that, either.” He chuckled softly and kissed her. “But neither did I.”

“You really _are_ the one who kisses the most.”

He kissed her again. “Are you complaining?”

“Never.”

“Good because I don't plan to stop my terrible habit.”

“I guess I'll have to put up with it then.”

  
  


“Why don't we go on the balcony?” Bert suggested when he arrived the next morning to take their photos. “The light is better out there.”

After he was done, and had Kitty's email address to send them to, he shook their hands and thanked them for being open to his idea.

“It's not often I get to be myself, y'know,” Bert said. “If you don't mind my asking, how'd you two get together? How'd you meet?”

“He saved me from some anti-mutant creeps, and I rewarded him by screaming in his face and running away.” She leaned closer to him. “But he was determined to make me into a friend. He may have overshot his goal a bit.”

“Huh,” Bert said. “What're the odds he'd find you?”

“Pretty good,” Kurt said, “Since I was _sent_ to find her.”

“Oh, right, right. The X-Men thing.”

“I believe we promised you autographs?” Kurt said, handing Bert a postcard from the hotel's lobby, signed by both of them.

“And if you or Ms. Diaz ever need help, our main number is on there,” Kitty said.

“Well I thank you both,” Bert said. “But I'll go on now and let you finish your honeymoon. Congrats.”

When Kurt shut the door, Kitty looked at him and laughed. “We are so screwed.”

Kurt stepped forward and swung her into his arms. “I wouldn't say that. I feel pretty fortunate right now.”

“It's our last night,” Kitty said as she kissed his jaw. “Want to do anything special before we have to go home and explain to everyone what happened?”

“I'd like to stay here, if it's all right with you. Being alone and uninterrupted is special enough in our line of work, don't you think?”

“Definitely. Although I can't _imagine_ what we'll do...”

“I brought three books and have read only ten pages of one, and I don't remember what was on those ten pages.”

“Okay,” she said, agreeing readily. She spun out of his arms and backed across the room laughing. “Enjoy your books. I'm going to get in the hot tub. Naked.”

As she walked, she phased, and Kurt scrambled to catch up as she passed through the door and onto the deck. She stood at the end of the hot tub and watched him walk out to her.

“I thought you might change your mind,” she said as he lowered himself into the water beside her.

She put her head into the crook of his shoulder.

“When we go back,” he began.

“Who should we tell first?” she interrupted.

“Logan. If he finds out from anyone else, he might actually kill me.”

“I agree. Piotr last, because if _he_ tries to kill you we'll have lots of backup.”

  
  


The hotel limousine was parked in front of the main building to take them back to the airport. Scott would meet them there and take them home. Telling Logan first meant pretending in front of Scott, but after a week of it, they both felt they could handle another hour.

“We never did go on the sleigh ride,” Kitty said as she cuddled against Kurt's warm shoulder.

“That's a shame. But perhaps we can come back someday.”

“But what kind of act will we have to put on then?” she said with a chuckle.

“Maybe none at all.”

“We won't know what to do with ourselves.”

“Oh, I think I can come up with a few things.” He leaned down and nuzzled her ear. “The airport is forty-five minutes away. And the privacy screen is up.”

Kitty pulled him down to kiss him as Kurt wrapped his arms around her. Their vacation had ended, but it had brought about the start of something even better.

1Bob Barker was the host of The Price is Right for many years.


End file.
